Fisk
by skywolfdragonYEAH
Summary: A continuation of The New World following Fisk, a panther, in his life through darkness and light.
1. The Savior

Fisk

Continuation of The New World

Chapter

I woke with a start. Another nightmare? Ever since that weird tiger dude came here to the orphanage and killed that black monster, I've been having weird dreams. My name is Fisk, and here at the orphanage, I'm sort of a loner. Most the other kids are goats, bunnies, and things, but I'm a panther. I've got weird white splotches on my black fur due to what I've been told was a cross breeding. I'm only ten years old, and about four foot eleven. I wear only silk pants made for me by the person who runs the orphanage. It's a really weird way to dress, in my opinion, but it does allow more mobility for when I train in Kung Fu. I train on my own because I can't find anyone who knows the Panther Style, so I'm stuck on my own. My nightmares always include that tiger, along with hundreds of those monsters, the furious five, the dragon warrior, a couple wolves and Master Shifu.

"Another nightmare, freak?" I hear from the bed beneath my bunk

Great, it's day time. Everyone's awake and ready to pick on the one who stands out. A pig beneath me named Wang is always on my case about being different. But I do my best to remain positive.

"Good morning to you to Wang," I say as I leap from my bed, stretching out once I'm on the ground

I start to walk away when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I'm about to defend myself when I hear a friendly voice.

"Was it the same dream?" a female voice asks

Lucy is a bunny, white as cotton and a personality to match her cuteness. She tries to seem tall by putting her hand on my shoulder, and she is tall for a bunny her age, but she's only half my height.

"Yeah, but I'm just gonna ignore it. I'm off to train, talk to you later, Lucy,"I say, then walk toward the outside yard

When I get there, I do normal stretches before I start the actual training. All I do it practice agility by doing punches kicks and dodges at top speed. I can't train anything else without a partner. After about ten minutes by estimate, I hear a bell.

"Crap, it's adoption day!" I yell at myself then run the center plaza in the orphanage

When I get there, everyone is preparing to run outside and meet the day's candidates for new parents. When we go outside, though, I don't see any panthers. I do see an unusual sight. Three crocs, one wearing a metal hat with a pointed tip, one quite small, and the other just looking around blankly.

"Gary, go set up those things Dou Dai gave us. I'll get the valuables and then once I'm out, you guys blow the place up!" the croc with the hat said

My breath caught in my throat as I began to back into the orphanage. I spotted Lucy, and noticed her crying. I looked around and saw no bunnies either. This would be her hundredth week without adoption. I ran over to her and hugged her.

"Lucy, you've got to go to your room and make sure all your stuff is in order. Something really bad is about to happen," I said

She wiped her eyes and nodded, running inside as fast as her little bunny feet could carry her. I followed close behind, going to my room to get my only belonging, a piece of crystal I found in the forest before I was found and brought here. Once I had it, I ran outside to find Lucy and get somewhere safe. When I got outside, though, she wasn't there. As if on cue of me exiting the building, an explosion shook the ground and sent me flying.

When I managed to get to my feet, I turned around and saw that the entire orphanage was on fire.

"LUCY!" I yelled, about to run back in when another explosion sent me flying backwards again

When I got back up, I saw five large figures running around the building, throwing water all over it to no affect. I then heard an ear piercing scream from inside the building. A monkey was about to run in, but a snake stopped him.

"Monkey, this building is about to come down, you can't go in there!" A tiger said

Nothing they said stopped me. I ran past them into the burning building and toward Lucy's room. When I got there, I saw that Lucy wasn't there.

"Fisk!" I heard behind me

When I turned around I saw that Lucy was being carried away in the arms of the croc that seemed like he wasn't thinking at all. When he saw me, he began to run away. I jumped into overdrive, chasing him down. He was obviously lost, and had no idea how to get out of the building. When I caught up, I jumped over his head, grabbing Lucy from his arms then spin kicked him away.

"Wait, he was helping me get out *cough*. I can't breathe…" was all she said, then passed out

Knowing I was short on time, I made a break for the exit, but realized I was too late when I saw that the door was covered in burning wood. No exit, no way out, no escape.

"No," I said to myself, realizing how screwed I was. I ran back to the center plaza in the middle of the orphanage. The ground there is stone, but the roof will still collapse on us. When I got there, I knelt to the ground and placed Lucy down.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I couldn't save you…I'm sorry" I said

Suddenly, a golden aura began to come from my body. I felt a strange energy begin to surge through me, and it felt…good! I then heard the sound of snapping wood, and as I looked up, I saw the roof falling down. In a final attempt to stop the demise of myself and Lucy, I let the energy surge and flow through me. I let out a scream that could've knocked the building down faster than the fire, and as the sound traveled, so did the golden light. It knocked aside all the wood and debris that were falling and put out all flames. When my lungs were empty, I fell limp to the ground. Everything went black.

**Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of the continuation of The New World. Review please**


	2. New Friendships

**And I return after receiving my first review of the first chapter of this story. Now enjoy chapter two!**

Chapter 2

I woke with a start, my heart racing and my fur matted with sweat. The room I was in was strange. The bed was bigger, and the felt lower in altitude. I nearly screamed when a small figure moved from next to me. I looked under the blanket that covered my lower half and saw a small cotton white bunny, trembling and asleep beside me.

"I figured you'd want your girlfriend with you," I heard behind me. The voice was terrifying, a mixture between male and female, "I know I did"

I turned around and saw that tiger from my dream.

"She is more like my little sister. I'm probably a little young for a girlfriend" I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, "Where am I?"

"In my old home, where my girlfriend and I use to live before the phantom beasts attacked two years ago. Now I don't live anywhere, I just keep watch over the valley for any sign of their return. I only left my post by the sacred peach tree when I sensed the energy you were giving off. You are very special" he said

"How so?"

"You carry in yourself Xing energy. But not just any Xing, light. If you learn to control it, you could change color dimensions and maybe even time and space could be in your hands. That's how-"

"Fisk" I heard behind me

I turned around to see Lucy cowering in fear behind me, her eyes dead on the tiger in front of us. She slowly moved to where she was right next to me.

"Don't be afraid, Lucy. This is the one who saved us from those monsters a while ago" I said

"I'm not scared *Cough* I still can't breathe" she replied, laying down in my lap and cuddling up close

"She breathed in too much ash. It burned her lungs, and if left untreated, she'll never breath right again" the tiger said

"Is there a doctor around?" I asked, cradling Lucy comfortingly

"Yes" he replied, then walked toward us and placed a hand across her chest. His hand then began to glow blue and orange

Out of the blue, Lucy gasped and began coughing. At first I thought he hurt her, but then her breathing got steady and she got up out of my lap and hugged the tiger.

"Thank you!" she said, then turned around and hugged me. "Little sister, huh?"

"You were supposed to be asleep!" I said, hugging her back

"Now that everyone's feeling better, we can formally introduce ourselves. My name is…or used to be…Sky. I didn't like going by Xing, so I just go by Sky," the tiger said

"I'm Fisk, and this is Lucy, my 'little sister'" I said, elbowing Lucy playfully

She laughed and jumped on my shoulders, crawling all over my like a huge spider and tickling me, causing me to laugh. I occasionally caught a glimpse of Sky grinning at us. After a little while of playing around, Sky cleared his throat.

"This is quite adorable, but right now I need to take you up to the Jade Palace, where I will train you in the ways of a Xing Warrior. Sound good?" he asked

"YEAH! I'll get to meet the furious five, and the Dragon Warrior!" I exclaimed, very excited

I was about to take off running with Lucy clinging to my back like a back pack, when Sky stopped me.

"First, we'll need to get you fitted with your own Xing weapon. Just hold still" he said, then placed a hand on my chest and head

I began to feel an odd tickling sensation on my back, and it migrated to my hands and down through my legs into my feet. Suddenly, the feeling skyrocketed for a split second, and then faded completely. I stood there, wondering what had happened, when I realized I was holding what looked to be a bow made of gold and obsidian. The colors alternating in spirals from bright neon yellow to the emptiest of blacks. I was in awe at its beauty.

"That's your new Xing Warrior Bow. Take care of it. It's useless in the hands of anyone but you, and is made from pure Xing energy, same as my dual spear. It's indestructible and key unlocking your Xing powers" He said

"Thanks. I'll take good care of it," I said as I slung it around my shoulder

"If you walk outside, then to the right you should see a lot of stairs. In a few minutes, start the climb. A test will be waiting for you upon arrival" He said, and before I had time to reply, he sprinted off in the direction he told me

"I think I'll wait here" Lucy said from behind me

I nodded and just stood there for a few minutes, then started my trip up the mountain of stairs. It took a while, but I finally made it to the top, and was met with the sight of Sky, The Furious Five, two wolves, Master Shifu, and The Dragon Warrior all lined up.

"Now we test your skills in combat. Choose your opponent, and prepare to fight" Sky said

I thought for a while. I didn't expect this, so choosing my opponent wasn't an easy task. I ruled out Sky, Master Shifu, and the Dragon Warrior right off the bat. I finally decided to go against the only other cat there.

"Master Tigress" I said

The others let out an exasperated grunt simultaneously.

"Why does tigress always get picked" Monkey said

"Maybe she's just the least scary in these people's eyes. I always knew they feared the bug" Mantis said

"Whatever. Guess I'm just the most popular" Tigress said, getting into position as the others walked to the sidelines

"Watch those ribs, kitty" Sky said from the sidelines, earning laughter from everyone

Tigress and I turned our attention on each other, sizing each other up. I was a couple inches shorter than her, but not too skinny. Relative to our size difference was the difference in our muscle size. Once I was in position, tigress spoke.

"I'm gonna start out easy, but dial it up as I see fit. And lose the bow, we aren't using weapons" She said

I nodded and tossed my bow to the side. When I was ready, Tigress yelled "go" and charged. Her speed was incredible, and I almost lost my focus but managed to regain my composure soon enough to dodge her first attack. I felt good, but that feeling was short lived as she quickly came back and struck me from behind. I took a deep breath and focused. Size her up…find a weakness. I turned around in time to do a matrix move, bending backwards in order to avoid a punch to my face. As I came back up I twisted and elbowed her in the chest. Was it sad that the only thing I could think was _squishy_? The blow stunned her for half a moment before she swept my feet from underneath me. She went to kick me in mid-air, but I grabbed her leg and pushed myself above her head.

Before she realized what happened, I kicked her in the head from above, causing her to stumble forward. She turned around and looked at me, giving me a look of surprise. She then charged again, but this time we met each other's attacks blow for blow, blocking, dodging and clashing. Eventually she dialed it up, and it was too much for me. She overpowered me and in turn I submitted with honor.

"You did well. I faced the same test, and accidentally broke some of her ribs. She still holds it against me" Sky said, smiling at Tigress as she elbowed him

I picked up my bow and slung it around my back, then took my place in front of everyone. But one person was missing.

"Where'd Mantis go?" Viper asked

We then heard a battle cry come from behind Sky, and he nonchalantly leaned to the side, and Mantis came hurling towards me. I had no time to react as he collided with my chest, sending me flying back and my vision went black as I hit my head on something behind me.

When I woke, it was to the sight of Lucy at my side and one of the wolves standing by a cot I was sleeping on. I groaned at the throbbing pain in my head. The wolf instantly turned her attention on me.

"Hey, you're awake. Mantis knocked you into a wall accidentally while trying to sneak up on Sky" She said

"Maybe he should stay silent. When did Lucy get here?" I asked

"About an hour ago…she wanted to be with you while you slept. You would've had a pretty bad concussion if Sky hadn't healed you. My name is Syrina. The other wolf is my husband, Collin. I brought our daughter here if you'd like to meet her. She wants to see what a Panther looks like" She said

"Yeah, sure. Bring her in whenever" I said, getting out of bed, turning my back and stretching out

I heard Syrina clear her throat and then speak. "This is my daughter, Niki"

I turned around and said hi. She was about the same height as my, and appeared to be the same age. She averted her eyes, seeming shy. Her eyes were blue and she wore cloths the same as her mother. The fur on her tail was trimmed nicely so it wasn't too fluffy. The fur on the top of her head was outgrown similar to mine, giving her a head of hair instead of fur. Hers was longer than mine, but very similar.

"Hi, I like your hair" She said

"Yours too" I replied while slinging my bow across my back, "it was nice to meet you. I'm gonna go explore town, get my barring's and stuff. I'll see you later" I said

I couldn't help but notice a slight hint of sadness on Niki's face as I walked by. As I walked down the hall in the direction of the exit, I heard a bunch of whispering, a gasp, and then the thumping of little feet. When I turned around, I saw Lucy and Niki chasing me down. Lucy jumped up onto my shoulders while Niki slowed to a walk beside me.

"My mom thought you'd need a guide and Lucy wanted to come" Niki said

"Alright then, let's head down to town" I said, then continued walking

"The exit is that way" She said

"I knew that" I said, turning around and walking the other way, earning a giggle from both girls

We walked down the billion stairs into town, and Niki started naming off places.

"There's Mr. Pings Noodle Shop, and the market is over there. Oh, and the ladies of the shade are performing!" she said as grabbed my hand and started dragging me over to go watch, nearly leaving Lucy in mid-air as she laughed

We began watching them do a parasol dance, doing many tricks that were actually quite amazing. I put Lucy on the ground for fear of a parasol hitting her off my shoulders. Just as I put her down, a couple hands grabbed my wrists and began pulling me into the crowd of dancers. I looked up to see that they were trying to include me into their performance.

"Oh no, no no no no no no nooooooooo!" I yelled pointlessly as the picked me up and threw me to the top of a big pyramid

They caught me and held me upside down as the music reached its end as well as the performance. The dancers helped me down and let me go, saying thank you for willingly being a part of the dance. After that, we just explored a bunch of other places and sampled some free food which was delicious. We went back to the palace after it started to get dark. We were all laughing as we walked in to the kitchen. They gave me a place to stay for the night, and I went to bed. I felt contempt and happy as I slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep.

**Hope you enjoyed chapter two. See you guys later!**


	3. Story of the Xing

**I'm back! On with chapter three! Oh, I never posted a disclaimer. I own only my shit, so don't go telling people I own KFP. I own all OC's and the Xing Warriors, and most of the story line. On with chapter three! Again!**

Chapter 3

I woke to the sound of a gong. It scared me so bad I almost hit the ceiling. I was scared again as I heard a voice next to me.

"You get used to it" Niki said, causing me to jump

"Don't do that! How long have you been in here?" I asked

"All night, didn't you know? You and Lucy are sleeping in the extra cots in my room" She replied

I thought about that for a minute. I guess I should've noticed the girly features and multiple extra cots. Don't know how I didn't.

"Huh, guess I just didn't realize. What was that gong for?" I asked

"It's to wake up all the adults for breakfast and training. They just headed down to the kitchen for soup. Want to go get some? Lucy already went" she replied

"Sure, let me just grab my bow" I said, getting up and walking over to the stand where my bow was

I picked it up and slung it around my shoulder, then walked to the door. I motioned Niki to follow, and she did, a smile across her face. Her teeth were very white. We walked out of the barracks and into a building near the back of the palace which was apparently the kitchen. We walked in while everyone was loading bowls of noodle soup to the table.

"Morning sweetie, morning Fisk" The male wolf I identified as Collin said

"Morning dad" Niki said, sitting at the table

"Morning. Man, that smells good!" I said, taking a good whiff of the air

"Thanks" Po said as he walked past

I stood in the corner of the kitchen, not really sure how seating was arranged. When everybody, including Shifu, was seated, I sat in the only empty seat there was.

"So Fisk, tell us a little more about yourself. We know seldom more than just your name" Collin said

I thought about how to reply to his request. I didn't even have a favorite color, what was there to tell?

"There's not much to tell about myself. I don't even have a favorite color. Let alone the fact that being an orphan kinda made my birth date a mystery. All I know is I'm a cross-bred panther with awesome hair and a love of martial arts. All I've ever done in life is protect myself and Lucy, and pretty much anybody I liked from the bullies at the orphanage. Good enough?" I asked

"For now, I guess. What about you, Lucy?" Syrina asked

We all looked at Lucy, who cowered back and looked at me for some reason.

"It's ok, Lucy. Go ahead and tell them about yourself" I said encouragingly

"Well, I'm nine years old and I like bean buns. My favorite color is white and I am also an orphan like Fisk" She said

The room was silent for a moment as people processed the new information. Once two seconds passed by, Master Shifu said to begin eating, so we did. The soup was amazing. Po called it his dad's Secret Ingredient Soup. When we'd all eaten, the people who needed to train went to the training hall. My jaw dropped as I walked in. Monkey was jumping around on rings hanging from the rafters. Viper was moving around some weird ground avoiding fire, and tigress was on some spiraling pieces of wood avoiding spiked wooden medicine balls swinging from the rafters. I watched as Crane and Mantis sparred in a big jade bowl.

"Yeah, it had the exact same effect on me when I first came her. Watch your head" Po said

"Huh? Ouch!" I yelled as debris from a broken medicine ball hit me in the head

"Told you" he said as he joined Viper in the flames

I just continued to stare in awe as they went through the obstacle courses as if they were nothing.

"No way am I doing those" I said to myself, then heard a voice behind me

"You could spar with me in the courtyard" Niki said

I turned around, nodded, and began to walk out until I was struck in the back by another piece of wood.

"Stop breaking those! They hurt!" I yelled at tigress, and then continued to walk

When we got to the courtyard, I tossed my bow to the side, and then got in my usual stance for when I train. She got in her own stance and began to advance on me. She tried do jab at my shoulder, but I leaned back. I then grabbed her throat.

"Focus, Niki. Go on offense, but keep your defense up," I said while letting go and stepping back

She grunted and came at me again with a kick to my head, but I jumped over it and landed behind her, kicking her in the back. She stumbled forward, then turned around and charged. She threw punches and kicks in a fury that would've impressed an average person, but not me. I dodged her with ease, and when I saw an opening I swept her legs from underneath her and used a butterfly strike to knock her away. I then noticed some people watching. Actually, everyone was watching. I didn't avert my gaze, though. Niki got back up and brushed off her clothes.

"You're pretty good. Guess I don't have to hold back" She said

"He's screwed now" I heard a whisper behind me

She then charged with amazing speed. I blocked her attacks, but her strength and speed matched my own. She was pushing me back, and I actually thought she was gonna win. I heard people talking about our technique and stuff, and heard them say that the hoped I managed to find her weakness in time. I didn't start looking for it though. I was too busy protecting my face. She managed to back me into a corner, and just as defeat was at hand, I felt a spark. I didn't know what it was, but something happened to me. I somehow took flight and went high into the air. As if I'd done it a million times, I spoke a weird incantation or something while both hand were placed together and aimed at Niki.

"Call to the solar comet, HAH!" I yelled, out of control, and sent a bright yellow glowing orb at her

By the time I realized what happened, it was too late. A small explosion sent a shockwave at me, knocking me from the air and to the ground. I immediately went to where Niki was, worried I'd hurt her. Smoke was everywhere, and both Collin and Syrina were already there searching for her, calling her name. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sky with his back turned to us cradling something. Niki! I sprinted over, but just as I was about to reach them, a wolf's foot collided with my side. I was sent tumbling to the ground.

"You stay away from her!" Collin yelled

"Niki!" Syrina yelled in worry, rushing over to care for her daughter

"She's fine. I got to her before the blast. She just passed out" Sky said

I got up from off the ground and ran over.

"Fisk, stay back!" Sky yelled, putting a hand in my direction

"I'm sorry! It was an accident!" I said, stopping in my tracks as tears began to form in my eyes

"I know it was. Look at your hands," he replied

When I looked, they were glowing bright gold, with what looked like black smoke trapped inside the light. I fell down in fear, trying to put out the light. Then Sky gave Niki to Collin and ran over to me, kneeling down in front of me.

"What do I do?!" I asked, still afraid

"Breathe, and focus. Your Xing powers are awakening. You're a distance fighter, so you need to have complete control. You must stay calm" he said

"How do I get control?!" I asked

"By training. You will learn to breathe and master your power, by remaining completely calm. You will learn how to control, like you're doing right now" he said

I looked back down at my hands and saw that the glow was fading, and my heart rate was going down. When I was back to normal, I stood up and was about to go check on Niki, but saw that her parents had already taken her somewhere else.

"She's back in her room" Viper said, looking in the directions of the barracks

I took off running, grabbing my bow as I passed by. I ran into the barracks and down the hall to her room. I could hear voices coming from inside the room.

"She could've been killed. We almost lost our little girl" Syrina said

"I know, but we can't blame Fisk. He doesn't-"

"Don't you dare defend him! He almost killed your daughter! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" She asked

"It means everything to me, honey. But have you seen the way she looks at him? Finally someone her age to play with, to run around with, and to be herself around! Can we really risk taking that away?" he asked in reply

After that there was a while of silence. Then I heard someone start crying.

"I'm sorry, I was just so scared! We almost lost her!" she said through sobs

"Come on, let's go to town and get her something for lunch. She should be awake when we get back" Collin said

I then heard the sound of footsteps, and for fear of being caught in some furry, I leapt silently into the rafters. When they went by, I dropped down and went into Niki's room. She was sleeping in her cot, snoring lightly. I sat cross legged beside her and could only think of the words they were saying. I really almost killed her? What's wrong with me?

"I'm so sorry, Niki. I don't know what happened, I just lost control…I just…I'm sorry" I said, as tears began to fall from my cheeks

I laid my head down on the cot and silently cried, until I drifted off to sleep. When I woke, it was to a voice speaking my name, and someone shaking me by the shoulder.

"Fisk, wake up. Fisk" I hear, then realizing who it was I sat up

"NIKI! You're ok!" I yelled, wrapping her in a hug, "I'm sorry I shot that…whatever it was at you! I don't know what happened, I just lost control! I'm sor-"

I was interrupted by her hugging me back and squeezing me to the point that my spine cracked.

"It's okay, I'm fine. It was an accident," she whispered comfortingly, "I forgive you"

She pulled away from the hug just in time for her parents to walk in with a bowl of soup.

"I should go" I said, then stood and walked out without further eye contact

I left the barracks and went straight to the sacred peach tree. The sun was beginning to go down and the temperature was cooling. I sat down cross legged by the tree and began to meditate. After maybe a half hour, I heard a voice behind me.

"I knew I'd find you here. It's where I always meditate" the voice I identified as Tigress said

"Seems like the calmest place in the palace" I replied without breaking my posture

"My thought exactly. What brings you up here?" She asked, sitting next to me

"What else?"

"I see. I partially know what you're going through" she said, causing my eyes to go wide

"You're a Xing?!" I asked

"I was, for only a month. Just long enough to drive the phantoms back to where they belong. Have you been told about them yet?" she asked

"No"

"Well, guess you should start listening. Long ago, before I was even born, Sky's grandfather discovered a strange power. Xing energy, a power above all. He took to mastering every version of martial arts there is, including American MMA, whatever that is. He became the greatest warrior on the planet, and that drew attention. Incredibly strong people from all corners of the globe wanted to be the best, and tried their hand at beating him, but were all defeated. Eventually, people became too strong for death to hold them. They came back to our world as phantom beasts, all led by Hēi'àn, the first and most powerful of all phantoms. The old Xing managed to defeat them, but it cost him his life. Many years later, an army of Phantoms was raised, and destroyed the dimension Sky is from. He and a friend of his named Biyu were the only two who escaped. They came to our world, and mastered being Xing Warriors. But their triumph was short lived as the Phantoms followed them here, and attacked at first in small numbers, but soon came with an army. As the Xing prophecy stated, Biyu was killed. Her spirit united with his, and they became one. Now the Grand Xing, they defeated Hēi'àn and brought piece to the world. But he still keeps watch, waiting for any sign of their return" She concluded, a sniffle to clear her nose, clearly saddened by the memory

"I never knew how important being a Xing is" I said

"There isn't a night I don't hear him crying. He misses her very much" she said, looking down

"What if they do come back? I'm only 10, how can I do anything to help? What if they're too strong?" I asked

"I don't know. All we can do is prepare"

**I'm gonna end it there. Later book worms**


	4. Announcing the Trip

**Hello my fans! This chapters gonna skip ahead a little, just a warning. READ!**

Chapter 4

As time passed, I learned control of the Xing Energy within. I studied hard on the past of the Xing and the phantoms, and mastered Kung Fu and Tai Chi, then began Pai Shua. I mastered that when I turned 15, and learned that Niki was now fourteen, same as Lucy. I became familiar with everyone in town, from Fung and the Crocodile Bandits to the duck that sells apples all the time. I also learned how to properly use my Xing Warrior Bow, and yesterday I began Karate. As I woke from sleep in a home I was given last year, the one Sky use to live in, I heard a sound that never fails. I heard the sound of Fung getting the shit beaten out of him by Po. I got out of bed and went to Lucy's room to wake her up, then went to the bathing area in the back of the house to run a bath for her.

"Lucy, bath is ready!" I yelled once the tub was full of warm water

"Okay," I heard, followed by a thump, "I'm okay! Fell out of bed"

This caused me to laugh as I walked to the kitchen to prepare some morning jasmine tea. Just as I put some honey in Lucy's cup, she walked in in her usual cloths. She'd grown a little since back at the orphanage, but not as much as me. I was now as tall as Tigress and about twice as muscled as I used to be. Lucy only came up to my knees.

"Did you drain the bath?" I asked

She groaned and turned back around to go do so. I laughed and poured some tea into both cups. She came back in a few minutes later and grabbed her tea.

"Morning" I finally said

"Morning, what's your day gonna consist of?" she asked

"Just gonna train, maybe go into town and stop a few crimes. The usual" I said, then took a sip from my cub

"I'm just gonna walk around, maybe go see a performance from the Ladies of the Shade. Not sure yet" She replied, putting her cup down and stretching

I nodded and finished my tea, then went to run my own bath. The tub was only a hole in the ground which looked like the dragon pool in the jade palace. Once it was ready, I stripped off my new silk pants which were black with a golden belt that wrapped around my mid-section to hold them up. I slowly walked down the steps into the tub, adjusting to the warm water. I then grabbed the herbal soaps and began to scrub my silky black and white fur. The hair on my head was now longer, falling back to the middle of my neck. It was all white, which I did myself. I used my light ability to change the color, turning it white to contrast with the black nicely. I scrubbed hard, getting out all sweat and dirt. When I was clean, I started the drain and got out of the tub, heating up my body to evaporate the water in my fur. When I was dry I put my cloths back on and walked back to the kitchen to find Lucy already gone.

I then left, closing the door behind me. I walked up to the jade palace for training, but found it oddly quiet, until I heard a mantis battle cry to my left. I then suddenly had everyone in the jade palace except Sky attacking me. To avoid being surrounded, I did a backflip over Monkey, who was attacking from behind. They all crashed into each other, save for Po, who tripped. They were all quick to their feet, charging once again. Niki was the first to reach me, so I jumped over her and kicked her back, and then spin kicked away Collin and Syrina. I then ducked as Monkey tried to hit me with a bow staff. I then hit him with an uppercut sending him flying into Crane. Then came Tigress and Shifu in unison, along with Niki from behind. I turned sideways and did my best to defend, blocking all there attacks. I then tumble rolled forward, turning around in time to duck a lunging Viper, who flew over my head. I then went on the offensive, charging at Tigress and managing to nock her down in time to spin kick Po to the point of falling on top of Monkey and Mantis, who all lay there in pain. When I spun back around, everyone was backing up. I then heard a thump behind me.

When I turned around, there was Sky. He was holding his dual spear and one hand while kneeling on one knee. I then took my bow off my back in time for him to charge. I shot a light bolt at him, but he slid down on his knees and dodged it, then continued his charge. When he got to me, I turned to close combat. I used my bow like a staff, blocking his spear as he tried to take a swing at my head from above. While his hands were raised, I kicked him back, and without giving him a chance I shot an arrow of light at him. It struck him directly, knocking him down. I knew it wasn't over, so I charged at him. I leapt into the air and just before I landed on him, he rolled backwards and took to flight, a technique I haven't yet mastered. I could hear him speaking an odd incantation.

"Xing Yin Yang Attack!" he said, and I could see his hands beginning to glow as they were aimed at me

Shit! I began charging my Xing energy into my favorite attack, while aiming my bow at him. When I was charged, he was just beginning to shoot.

"Call to the solar commit, HAH!" I yelled, unleashing a bolt of energy at him

Our Xing attacks met at mid-distance between us and just stayed there, trying to overpower each other. I focused all my energy into making it move, but so did he. Eventually, the blasts exploded where they were, leaving a glittery look in the air. Sky then slowly hovered down to the ground, and when he got there, he bowed, followed by everyone else. I bowed back respectfully.

"You've become very strong, Fisk. Almost as strong as me" Sky said, smirking

"Almost" I agreed, breathing hard

I was then tackled by Niki, who hugged me while I was on the ground.

"I haven't been able to talk to you for almost a month, so I'm making up for it" She said as I hugged her back

"Hey, you two, you've still got training to do-"

"PO! Oh, son! Are you alright!" I heard Mr. Ping say, "I saw the explosion and thought you might be in trouble, and without you here who will help protect the noodle shop?!" he asked, trying to get Po up off the ground

"I'm fine, dad. We're just testing Fisk" he said

"Who?"

"Me" I said, standing up off the ground

"Oh that guy. I have to get back to the shop, be safe son" he said, and then started flying off

We all started laughing, and then went to the training hall. Sky and I were the last two to the door, but he stopped me from going in. I looked at him, and he motioned for me to follow him as we walked up to the sacred peach tree.

"You impressed me today. You know the stories about who I am, but yet you still rival my own strength. It's amazing" he said, looking down at me. He was still about three inches taller than me

"I just want to be ready if the Phantom Beasts ever come back" I replied

"The thing is, Fisk, You're more than ready. You've become so strong, I only have one thing left to teach you. Then I can teach you no more" he said, averting his gaze

"What?" I asked, implying both for clarification on what he was saying and also wondering what his final teaching would be

"Once I've taught you the flying technique, I'll no longer be your mentor" He replied

I thought about what he said. No longer my mentor? Then how to I learn the final Martial Arts versions? I looked at him for guidance, but he just looked down.

"It's been an honor teaching you, but you'll have to go out into the world and learn for yourself" He said

On pure instinct, I reached out and pulled him into a hug.

"You were a great mentor, and are the closest thing I've got to a dad. Once I've left, make sure Lucy is safe" I said once I pulled away

He nodded, and then motioned for me to follow him as he began to walk to the edge of the cliff by the tree.

"The key to flying it remembering that you control your own story. You have the control over yourself, of light, of the power you possess. Focus on that and then, fly" he said, then began to fly into the air

I thought about his words, closing my eyes and focusing on them. _I have control_ I thought. Without realizing it, my feet began to lift up off the ground, and I began to fly higher and higher into the clouds. When I opened my eyes and realized that it had worked. It felt amazing and I felt free. I began flying all over the village, enjoying the mid-day breeze. I'd never seen the world from above like this before…it was amazing! As I flew, I saw Lucy talking to some other bunny…I guy bunny. He was slightly taller than her, but seeming the same age.

"Hey, Lucy!" I yelled while flying low and towards her

She turned her head towards me, and a smile overtook her face.

"Fisk!" she yelled back

As I went by, I swooped her up into the air, tossing her onto my back as I flew.

"Wait, we're leaving Li-Yang behind!" she said, turning back and looking at the bunny she was talking to

"Okay, hold on!" I said, flying straight up and then upside down in his direction for a split second before twisting right side up

As I went at him, he turned tail and started to run, causing Lucy and I to laugh. I caught up easily and picked him up, tossing him on my back and having him land in front of me.

"This is my brother Fisk, the one I was telling you about!" she said

"YOU NEVER SAID HE COULD FLY!" he yelled, grabbing handfuls of fur

"That's cuz he couldn't before, but he said he'd be able to soon, and it's awesome!" she replied

I then cringed in pain as one of them sat on my bow, driving in into me back.

"Hey! Watch the bow!" I said, laughing slightly

"Sorry" Lucy said, laughing as well

After a while I got tired, so I flew to where I picked them up and landed there. Once we got Li-Yang to let go, I told Lucy I needed her up at the palace for an announcement. I walked with her up to the palace and into the main courtyard where I had her wait. The sun was starting to go down already, so there were some stars out. I went to the training hall, where I found everyone. I hit a switch to turn everything off, getting everyone's attention.

"I need everyone to meet me in the main courtyard in a few minutes. I've got an announcement to make" I said, then left

Within a few minutes everyone was gathered in the courtyard in front of me. I prepared what I was about to say, and began.

"When I first arrived here when I was ten, I felt like the weakest person in the world. As time went on, I got better, and stronger. I made friends I never thought I could, but all this came at a cost. Sky?" I said, requesting he say what he said to me

"He's become too strong. His powers rival my own, so I can no longer train him" he said

"Which is why, come tomorrow, I'm leaving" I continued, earning a gasp from a few people, including Lucy and Niki. "I need to travel the world and seek out my training. I'll start in Gongmen City, but then I'll be going quite far. I'll be going to America to learn what they call MMA. I'll be gone for a long time" I concluded

Everyone was silent, until I heard someone start to cry. I looked at Lucy, but she wasn't, so I looked at Niki. She was crying, and then she took off running in the direction of her room. I reached out in the direction she ran and opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I watched as she ran to her room, followed by her parents. Then Tigress approached.

"You remind me of me. You'll do anything to keep training, and I respect that. I wish you could still stay here, but I think you're making the right choice" she said, then pulled me into a hug

I hugged her back with my eyes closed. When we broke apart, the rest of the five, Po, and Shifu had already gone.

"I'll be leaving in the morning" I said

She nodded, then walked away, leaving only Lucy and I. She instantly ran over to me and jumped high enough to wrap her arms around my neck.

"When did you grow up?" she asked

"I could ask the same about you. You're taking this quite well" I said, wrapping my arms around her back

"I'm happy for you. My big brother going to explore the world like no Xing ever has" She replied, pulling back far enough to look me in the eyes

After staying in that position for a while, I realized how dark it was. I told her that we better get home, and we did. She went straight to bed, and so did I. but a few minutes after laying down, I heard a knocking on the wooden door that blocked the window I night. I got up and opened it, and there I saw Niki.

"Hey" She said, looking down slightly

"Hi…you uh, wanna come in?" I asked

She nodded, so I stepped back and let her jump through the window. I closed the door behind her.

"So, you're really gonna go, huh?" she asked

"Yeah, I am. I hope you don't think it's to get away from all you guys" I said

"No, no, I didn't think that. It's just…the thought of you not being here" she said, then looked away

My room was dark, so I used my Xing powers to make it so I could see. To her it would still be dark, and for me it was too, but now I could see her.

"I'm only doing this so I'll be able to protect the people I care most about if the Phantom beasts return" I said

"How long will you be gone?" she asked

"Impossible to say. Couple years…maybe more" I replied

At this she once again looked down, a few tears falling from her cheeks and matting the fur on them. I decided to go on instinct and wrapped an arm around her, pulling to sit down on the bed. We sat there, her in my arms silently crying. What I was feeling was hard to explain. A pain in my heart, being caused by my emotions toward the situation. Eventually, she fell asleep in the sitting position she was in, leaning against my chest. Not wanting to wake her, I slowly laid back in the bed, making sure not to drop her. When we were fully laid back, I slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

When I woke, we were in the same position. I woke to a knocking on the front door. I stood up, careful not to wake Niki and walked to the door. I opened it to the sight of everyone from the Jade Palace save for Niki. Collin was the first to speak.

"Fisk, we were originally coming here as a goodbye party, but we need your help. We fear Niki has run away overnight-"

"It's ok, Collin, she's here. She came to me in the night to talk and fell asleep" I said

He and Syrina let out a sigh of relieve just as Niki and Lucy walked out. Lucy handed me a leather pack filled with what she said was everything I'd need. One by one, everyone gave me a hug and said their goodbyes. Even Shifu gave me a hug. Hugging Viper was awkward, but we managed. When it finally came to Lucy, she did shed a few tears while saying goodbye. Niki was reluctant to say goodbye.

"I can't say goodbye to you. You're my best friend, and if I say goodbye I feel like I won't ever see you again" She said, crying once again

"Then how about see you later?" I offered, pulling her into a hug

She hugged me back and it lasted for almost a full minute before we broke apart.

"Alright, but you better come back," She replied, wiping her eyes

"Count on it" I said, hugging her again, before I strapped the bag around me shoulder and walked toward the exit of town

"Sky, keep them safe" I said, then kept walking

I watched them as long as I could as I walked, until they were out of sight. All I could thing were these words: Until we meet again.

**I think that's a pretty good ending for chapter four. Until we meet again**


	5. Gongmen to USA

**Hey guys. Spring Break is nearly over, so I won't be able to post as often. I'll do my best though!**

Chapter 5

Upon arriving in Gongmen City, I was met by some Emperial Guards.

"The Emperor sent us to see you brought to your staying quarters in the palace" they said

I didn't bother to argue and jumped into the rickshaw they brought, pulled by a goat. They brought me to a large tower that was apparently the main tower of the palace. The brought me past it into the palace, and it was much bigger than the Jade Palace. They then took me to the entrance, where I was surprised to find the emperor himself waiting with a box. I got off the rickshaw and kneeled to the ground respectfully.

"Rise, Fisk. Formalities are for formal occasions. I welcome you as a quest" he said

I rose from the ground and took note of his features. He was a Komodo Dragon wearing large royal garments. He had a smile on his face as he presented the box to me.

"Master Shifu sent these for you. A few presents from your friends" He said as I took the box, "You may view them in the quarters we've prepared for you"

He then led me into a large building which was what he called the guest quarters. A big house which held a bedroom, washroom, and kitchen. The floors seemed made of marble and the walls of a beautiful wood.

"This will be your home until you leave for America" he said, then left me to get settled in

I went into the bedroom and sat on the cushioned mattress, setting the box down beside me and taking off my pack and bow. I then opened the box and on top found a letter.

**Dear Fisk,**

**We've sent you some items to make sure you never forget us in your travels. On top, is from Niki. She painted you a picture of you and her together from pure memory, very detailed.**

I took a break from reading to take out the painting. It was like it was copied from life. I shed a tear as I saw her. I then continued reading.

**Next is your old mentor. He's sent you his old Kung Fu vest, and says that you can use your Xing Energy to change the colors to match your pants.**

I took out the vest and gave it a good look. It was light blue with bamboo designs on the front. I snapped my fingers and changed the colors. The bamboo turned gold along with anything else on it that used to be black. The blue I turned black then put it on. It fit perfectly.

**And finally, we give you our best. We'll miss you while you're gone, and safe travels young one.**

**Yours truly,**

**Master Shifu-**

I nearly started crying as I hugged the letter. I put the letter and picture on the table by the bed and lay down on the silk blankets. The sun was now going down as I had arrived late in the day, so I went to bed early. I dreamt of home…eating Mr. Pings noodle soup and hearing Tigress beat up Po for making a smug remark. But I woke from that dream in the middle of the night to the sound of something in the other room. I heard a quick patting, and then it quickly moved into the kitchen. How's it so fast? No…there's more than one. Judging by the speed and location, I presumed there were three. I quickly grabbed my bow and readied myself for anything. I then heard a female voice.

"So the rumors are true. A visitor…sisters, aren't we always so pleased to meet visiting royals?" she asked, her voice very close

"Yes indeed, sister. We should discover just who this royal is" another female voice spoke

"Show yourselves!" I yelled forcefully

"Oh, it's a male I see" a third voice spoke

I then saw three figures walk into the dim moonlight. I used my Xing Powers to allow me to see them. They were three female snow leopards, all wearing the same outfit. The one in the center had a blind eye, and I was ready to defend as she raised a hand, but I saw she was holding something…my bow! I checked my hand, but saw it was gone.

"How did you-" I was interrupted

"This is quite an interesting weapon you've got here, kitty cat. Where'd you come across it?" she asked, seeming actually curious

"It was a present, now give it back!" I lied

"I like you, kid," the one on the left said, "You don't seem scared of us. Do you know who we are?" She asked

"Not a clue" I said as I quickly swiped my bow from the hands of the center leopard

"He's fast, and he didn't even think about the consequences of such actions. He really doesn't know who we are" the one on the right confirmed

"Kid doesn't get around, does he?" the middle one asked, earning a snicker from the other two

"I think they're in the guest house!" I heard a guard yell as they ran in this direction

"We're the Wu Sisters" the middle one said, then jumped out the window

"Gotta run. See you around, kitty" the one on the left said as she turned and ran her tail under my chin before following her sisters out the window, just in time to escape the guards who ran in

"Mr. Fisk, the Wu Sisters have escaped the dungeon. Have you seen them go by anywhere?" he asked

I was silent for a moment, still thinking about what happened.

"Mr. Fisk?" they asked

"Sorry, yes I saw them. They came in and out the window, but from there I can't help you" I said

They thanked me then ran out the door to follow them. I shrugged off what just happened and went back to sleep, this time dreamless. When I woke it was to the sound of a goat walking in with a tray of food and tea.

"Morning, Mr. Fisk. I've brought you breakfast and a list of areas in the city to check for people to teach you Karate" she said, placing the tray on the table by the painting and letter

"Morning, and what's with the Mr. Fisk stuff? I'm still a young teen, just call me Fisk" I replied, grinning

She let out a giggle and gave me a plate full of various breakfast items. She was somewhere in her low twenties by my guess. I ate the food and drank the tea, then took the list of places from her.

"Thank you for the food, I'll be heading out now" I said, grabbing my bow and pack and heading out

I started in the areas closer to the palace, but had no luck. They were all either dead or false rumor. I then moved to the common area, where the normal people lived. I found one person there, but he was unwilling to train me, so I moved on to the lower areas, where people were poor and criminals ran wild everywhere. The sun was mid-was across the sky, so I thought it was mid-day. As I walked through town, I saw people wearing ripped rags, if anything, and wolves were running around taking what little they had. The sight angered me. I saw a couple wolves robbing an old bunny and sprang into action. I jogged over unseen, and snuck up behind him.

"Come on, old man. Even you people gotta have more than three Yuan!" the wolf yelled, holding a sword aimed to impale the old bunny

"Please, sir, that's all I have!" he begged

"Not enough to save a lepers life!" the wolf said and prepared to run him through

"HEY!" I yelled

This got the wolves attention, causing him to turn around and look at me. He looked me up and down, and then grinned.

"This guy's dressed like royalty! Silk clothes, nice bow, leather pack, gold mine! Hold him, boys!" he said, and sent his two wolf counterparts to hold me still

I allowed them to grab me just for laughs, and even let them search my stuff.

"What's he got?" the wolf asked

"Just a bow a pack and a piece of paper with some weird symbols written on it" the wolf said, sounding exasperated

The leader's eyes went wide at what he heard, making me smirk.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked

"Sorry Wan-Lu, kids just a fancy dresser" he said

_Wan-Lu…he's the one I'm looking for! Never thought I'd do this _I thought.

"Wan-Lu, huh? I've been looking for you" I said, pulling my arms free from his goons. They tried to grab me again but I tossed them aside, and then walked toward the wolf

"You see, I need someone to train me in Karate, and rumor has it you are a master" I said

"Well, rumors might be true. But if I do, what would be in it for me?" he asked, crossing his arms

I was about to answer when a look of fear overtook his face.

"Wan Wu" he said, then stumbled backwards

I turned around and saw the Wu Sister who seemed to have a crush on me.

"Hey kitty, what's a royal stud like yourself doing out here in the scrubs?" she asked

"To tell you the truth, I'm not royalty. Just a guest of honor. I'm out here looking for him, so he can teach me Karate" I replied, looking at Wan-Lu, who's name I just now discovered rhymed with hers

"Oh really? I hope he isn't giving you any trouble…" she said, taking a step towards him

I then pondered his last question, and came up with an answer.

"I pay you 100 Yuan for every good 12 hours of training and stop her from killing you. Sound good?" I asked

He nodded, so I grabbed onto her shoulder and told her he wasn't giving trouble at all. She nodded turned her attention on me.

"So where you from, Kitty?" she asked

"The valley of peace, and its Fisk, not Kitty" I replied, grabbing my stuff from off the ground

"Well then, Fisk, I've gotta run. See you later" she said, and then leapt onto a roof and out of sight

"So, when do we start?" I asked

"Wait, we checked your stuff, you don't have any money, so how will you pay me?" he asked

I then in reply took my bow and aimed it at the ground. I closed my eyes and focused on the symbol Sky taught me and pulled the string back. When I was ready, I focused a small amount of Xing Energy into the bow and released the string. When the Xing Arrow hit the ground, a small pouch of gold coins was left. Five coins to be exact. I picked it up and tossed it to him.

"Here's a bonus for being so generous. Answer your question?" I asked

"Clearly. But just so I can be sure of your loyalty to my training, let me see that bow" he said, so I tossed it to him

He looked it over, and told me how remarkable it was. He gave me another glance before aiming at the ground, pulling and releasing the string.

"Why won't it work?" he asked

"Oh, the bow itself is useless as anything but a catalyst for increasing my power. The power itself is something I have" I said, creating a ball of energy in my hand to demonstrate, and tossed it high into the sky, then making it explode into something of a firework

He grunted and tossed the bow to me, which I caught and strapped around my shoulder.

"We start tomorrow. Meet me here first thing in the morning" he replied, then walked away

I took that as a yes and walked over to the old bunny, giving him some gold coins I took from the pouch secretly. Without another word, I took to flight back toward the palace. The sun was beginning to go down now, and my stomach was growling like Tigress when she was angry. I was about to speed up when a familiar Leopard landed on my back and forced me to land in an alley.

"Couldn't keep away, could you?" I asked

"I saw what you did, and it was something I've seen done before. Seven years ago, some weird black monster attacked here, and two cats managed to destroy it with some weird energy. Tell me what you are before I rip you to shreds!" she commanded, grappling my throat

I stood there with my arms crossed, a smirk on my face.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" I asked

Her grip tightened for a full second before she let go and sighed in frustration.

"I know I can't beat you, but please tell me! I've been trying to figure out who those two were and what that thing was all these years!" she pleaded

"Those two cats were Sky and Biyu, two Xing Masters. I'm a Xing Warrior, a master in training. That thing was a Phantom General" I replied

"Little more detail than that" she said

I sighed and placed my hand on her head, telling her to hold still. I then focused the memory of my dreams and the story Tigress told me all those years ago. I played it out like a movie in her head. It took about three minutes before it was done. She looked at me in amazement, and then her expression changed.

"So, that makes you one of the good guys?" she asked

I nodded.

"Why haven't you arrested me, or my sisters?" she asked

"Until such time as you show me reason to, I'll not take the word of the government. I judge for myself" I replied

"Wow…that's a first" she said, looking down and considering my words

"So, you got plans for later? I'm only avoiding the Emperial Guards. They caught my sisters until I break them out" she asked

"I WAS heading back to the palace for dinner, but in my travels across the globe I'm planning on making some friends. Why not start here" I replied

"Great. I know a joint nearby that doesn't mind criminals or strangers" She said, walking out of the alley and across the street to a small building. We walked in and I instantly saw people being punched and thrown all over the place. _Oh, one of these places, _I thought.

"There's an empty table over there, let's go sit" She said, leading me to an empty table

Once there, we waited in silence for a hog to walk by and ask if we'd like anything. I told her I would eat anything, so she ordered fried rice. When it got there is when she really started to interview me. She asked me the same question I was asked my first time eating dinner at the Jade Palace.

"Tell me about yourself, Fisky. What goes on in that head of yours?" She asked, leaning over the table slightly

"It's Fisk, and there's not much to tell. I was an orphan before some crocs burned down the orphanage. All my life I've only ever thought of protecting the people I care about. I don't even know my own birthday, let alone have a favorite color. I have a sister back at the valley named Lucy, and my best friends name is Niki. That's all there really is to me" I replied, then began eating my rice

She just sat there, mouth agape. I laughed at the sight.

"What's up with you?" I asked

"You're so pure…not a thought beyond protecting your loved ones?" she asked

"Not really…other than training so I have a better chance of protecting them, which is what brought me here" I replied

"Wow…if my sisters knew I was talking to someone like you they'd probably kill me" she said, eating her own rice

After we finished eating, we were about to leave, until a big Ox slammed a wanted poster down on the table.

"You're Wan Wu, aren't you? There's quite a price on your head…a price that would do me nicely" he said, grabbing her upper arm and lifting her up off the ground

"Dude…that really isn't a great idea" I said, but too late

Wan had already escaped his grip and thrown him out the door.

"Shall we-"

"There she is! That's Wan Wu!" a guard said

Not wanting to be seen, I used my Xing energy to turn the entire room pitch black for everyone save for Wan and I. she seemed very confused as nobody seemed to know what was happening or where they were. They were all tripping over tables, chairs, and each other.

"What's wrong with them?" she asked

"I basically blocked all light from their vision, so they can't see anything" I replied, grabbing her wrist and leading her out of the building

When we were clear, I gave them their vision back and then took off running with Wan in tow. We ran all the way to the other side of the lower part of the city.

"I've got to be getting back to the palace. I'll see you later" I said, then took to flight

As I looked back, she was just watching me leave, her gaze seeming locked yet distant. When I reached the palace, I somehow triggered an intruder alert. Bells started ringing and Emperial Guards were coming at me from all sides. They stopped with no time to spare, mere centimeters from me.

"Fisk, what are you doing arriving so late? Stop the alarms!" the general yelled out

"My apologies general, but being a Xing isn't about going to bed early. I'm quite busy" I replied

"Well, I bid you goodnight, sir" he said, then ordered his guards away

I went into the guest house, closing the front door behind me. I then went into the bedroom and closed that door also, then took off my vest and lay down in bed, slowly drifting off to sleep. I dreamt once again of home. I saw an older version of Niki welcoming me home with open arms, and fresh made soup from Mr. Pings ready to eat, which he generously gave us a 10% discount on. But I was drug out of my sleep by the sound of a door closing. I quickly sat up and grabbed my bow, ready to defend myself, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Easy Kitty, just thought I'd give you a wake-up call. Almost time to be heading out" She said, sitting on the bed beside me

"You shouldn't be here" I said, rubbing my eyes

"You know, in the fortress we sleep on rocks. We don't have cushioned beds and silk blankets. I could take offense of that" she said

"Honestly they aren't that comfy. Not when you aren't used to them" I replied, putting on my vest

After I was dressed, I went out the door, followed closely by Wan. I strapped my pack on my back along with my bow before leaving. We casually walked out of the palace, unnoticed by the guards. On the walk she began to talk on odd subjects that I didn't entirely understand. Stuff about wars and conquest and stuff. I didn't really talk back, just listened until she asked me an unexpected question.

"Hey, this has been bugging me for a while. Is there anyone special in your life from back in the valley?" she asked

The question stumped me. I hadn't a clue if I did or didn't. Niki was definitely a special person in my life, but what did that make her? Was she a really good friend or…something more? I thought in silence for a while, just walking along.

"I…I really don't know the answer to that question" I replied blankly, continuing the walk

The walk from there was silent until we arrived at our destination. From there she left, and I waited for a long while. Eventually he showed up, almost a half hour late. When he arrived, he got straight to business. He brought me to some secluded area and instructed me on what to do. He had me punch trees and kick falling leaves. At first it seemed pointless, but I then noticed that I slowly became more accurate with my kicks and my punches became stronger. By the end of the day I could punch down small trees and I could hit a bee as it flew by. I went home really sore, taking a long warm bath to relax. I then went to sleep. I woke the next morning and followed the same basic routine, a different task to perform every day. Over a year passed, not a day when I didn't train. Wan and I became good friends, which Wan-Lu grew weary of. He was afraid of disappointing me, because I could have a Wu Sister beat the crap out of him at will. I was impressed by how well he trained me. I managed to master everything he had to teach me, and prepared to move on. I planned to stay a couple days just to relax. As I entered the guest house, I put my bow and pack on the bed. I was about to walk out when I saw Wan enter in a silk robe, her fur matted to her skin.

"Hope you didn't need a bath. Waters draining" she said, then walked into the kitchen

"You're getting a bit too comfortable being around me, don't you think?" I asked, lying down in my bed

"It's just nice knowing I can be like this around someone without being abused in three seconds" I heard from the kitchen

I couldn't help but laugh a little at the thought of someone as powerful as her being so helpless.

"That's what turned my sisters and I so bitter. Nobody ever wanted to show us any kindness, or respect. We were just young girl ripe for the picking in everyone's eyes" she said, walking in with a couple cups of tea

"Must have sucked…hey, what do you think would happen if your sisters and you were shown an act of extreme kindness. What would that do to you?" I asked

"I'm not sure. If you're suggesting it turn us to good girls, it'd take a majorly huge act of kindness" she replied

Over the next few days, I packed up all my things and spent some side time with Wan, exploring the city. She told me in detail about Lord Shen's attack of the city and obsession with explosives. Quite a psycho in my opinion. When it came to my final day in Gongmen City, I blindfolded Wan and took her somewhere she didn't know. I'd set up a meeting with the emperor to discuss some important matters. I had all my items with me. I walked her blindfolded into the main building all the way to the top floor, where the emperor was waiting.

"Your majesty, I present to you Wan Wu" I said, taking off the blind fold

She looked at me with sadness, and pleading eyes.

"You're turning me in?" she asked

Without confirming now denying her suspicions, I took a few steps toward the emperor.

"Your majesty, I come before you presenting Wan to make a humble request. Set her and her sisters free, and see what happens" I said, smiling

"Are you crazy?! They are three of the most evil and dangerous criminals in the province, why would I set them free?" he asked

"Ask yourself this: have you or anyone else ever shown these three a simple act of kindness? Have you ever given them any reason to respect your laws?" I asked

His expression turned to one of thought, and it stayed that way for several minutes.

"If you wish, I can pay a handsome price for their release" I said

"No, that won't be necessary. Captain!" he called, followed by the entry of a rhino, "Take these two down to the dungeon. We're releasing the Wu Sisters"

The rhino looked surprised, but nodded and led us back down the stairs and into an underground dungeon, where we found the two Wu Sisters in a cell. They seemed surprised to see me as the door to the cell opened. Wan ran over and hugged her two sisters.

"What's going on?" Su asked

"Call it an act of kindness" I replied, walking up to them

"I've convinced the emperor to let you go free. I made him believe that if you were treated kindly," I paused as I reached out and controlled the light to make her blind eye able to see again, "the kindness will be returned"

"Why are you doing this for us?" Wing asked, followed by a nod from the other two

"Because I know that no matter how evil anyone is, they can always find the good within. You may not be young girls ripe for the picking, but that doesn't mean you have to be criminals" I replied

They then all wrapped me in a group hug, thanking me.

"We'll do our best to find the good within ourselves" Wan said

"But don't expect us not to rob once in a while" Su said, followed by the giggling of her sisters

"I won't, but I fear I won't be able to be here to see you change for the better. My journeys now must take me far away, to America" I said

Together we all walked to the very front of the city and onto a bridge that overlooked a lake on one side and a river on the other. We stood there for a while, just watching the sun move across the sky. It wasn't until mid-day that I began saying my goodbyes.

"I've got to be off. I'm gonna need a boat, cuz I can't fly that far. Goodbye" I said as I hugged them all one last time before flying off in the direction my instincts told me America was in

As I flew, I could only think about what America would be like. So many things to try. Exotic foods, auto-mobiles, moving pictures, the thoughts made me excited. When I finally reached the docks that led out to sea, I looked for the correct boat. Some people were fishermen who barely went far at all, while others were long distance travelers going in the wrong direction. I finally found a trade boat going to America and paid the captain 500 Yuan for the trip. I only really ate, slept and worked on the ship. Raising sails and tying knots and stuff. I spent most my time on deck making sure that we didn't wreck. I was able to use my Xing powers to guide us through storms. The trip was long, but I got to know the crew who turned out to be American. There was Bobby, the navigator. He was a plain old German shepherd. Then there was Jack, who was an otter. Quite the storyteller I might say, and finally, the captain's name was John. He was a big monitor lizard, of which bread I wasn't sure. They taught me English and over the few months over sea's, I learned to speak it fluently.

When we finally reached the American beaches, the sight amazed me. So many people and large towns everywhere! For miles all I saw was civilization, and I marveled at the sight. I said my goodbyes to the crew and jumped onto the dock. It took me a moment to readjust to the still ground, but was soon on my way into the city they called New York. The place was HUGE! I was going crazy, just marveling at the sight. And the people were all so different! Instead of goats, geese, rabbits and things, they were all dogs, cats, hairs, some really big mice. It was completely, mind bogglingly, AMAZING! After taking it all in, I read some signs that directed me to places they called parkways and drives. I walked out onto a strange black path, and was almost run over by and automobile. I decided to follow the paths other people were walking on, when I heard someone scream.

"Help! He stole my purse!" I heard and turned around just in time to grab a guy running away with a pink leather bag. I stopped him and took the bag back, then tossed him aside

I then realized that everyone had a hairdo like me. Then a white cat with long black hair ran up to me.

"Thank you, sir. I thought I'd never see this again" she said

"You are welcome" I replied, doing my best not to break my streak of good English

"I'm Beth" she said, extending a hand

Having studied American culture, I knew to shake her hand instead of bowing.

"Fisk, pleased to meet you. Might I ask where to find a place where I can learn MMA?" I asked

She laughed and said I was asking the wrong person.

"Where you coming from?" she asked, looking at my cloths and how they differed from the blue pants she was wearing and her white shirt

"The Valley Of Piece in China" I replied

"Wow, you get around, don't you? If you still need an answer to that question, you could come to my place and look it up on the web" she said

"Yes, that would be great. Thank you" I said

"No problem. My cars parked just over here" she said, leading me across the black path and towards a small auto-mobile, or Car

I got in and buckled my seat belt as she instructed, and she drove out onto what she called the road. After a few minutes, she parked in an area full of cars and let me into what she called her apartment. She led me over to a weird metal box which she made light up and then started hitting buttons on a black board. After about a minute, she exclaimed that she found it. She told me that signups for training cost 100 dollars a month. I told her money wasn't an issue, but the thought about my cloths and asked if there was somewhere I could purchase some American clothes. I watched as a smile swept over her face.

"You are like…every girls dream! No guy wants to go cloths shopping! The mall is just down the road, come on!" she almost yelled as she dragged me back out to her car

She then drove us to a large building filled with multiple small stores, two large ones, and a "food court" from which I smelled something very sweet. She drug me into a store called Sears and brought me over to the Men's section, where she instantly picked out a pair of blue pants, black shorts, and a plain black shirt. She gave them to me and forced me into a small room, closed the door, and told me to try them on from outside. I took off my vest, bow and pack and put on the black shirt. The lengths were fine, but my muscular build made the shirt cling tightly to my body. I then took off my silk pants and put on the blue ones, which felt heavier but still fit well. Only now did I notice that the fur on my arms was all black, but both my hands were completely white. The pants fit well, and I was about to walk out when she knocked on the door. I opened it and she walked in with some weird metal thing. She put it on the ground and told me to put my foot inside. She moved a couple items on it and then walked out, soon walking back in with another box. She opened it and showed me two flat bottom black shoes with a V on them. She put them on my feet and tied the laces, then stood up to admire her work.

"You look like a sexy hunk. I knew you were the same size as my dad!" she exclaimed

"Interesting choice of words" I said

"We'll just grab a couple more shirts and pairs of jeans, then some socks, boxers, and then you'll be on your way!" she said

She left, closing the door behind her, so I took the time to create 1000 American dollars. I put the money in my pack, then took the cloths off and put mine back on. I then grabbed all the items and walked out, meeting her by a counter that had a female dog behind it.

"Your total comes to $123.75. Will that be cash or credit?" She asked

I thought about it for a little while and remembered what the crew taught me about US currency, then took out the money. I pulled out $125.

"Cash" I replied

When we had all the items, Beth led me to the food court, where I got my first Cinnabon. It was alien to what flavors I was used to, but good all the same. We sat at an empty table and just talked.

"So, what brings you to the US?" she asked

"Learning how to do MMA" I replied, eating my food and drinking the thing she called Pepsi

"Well, duh! Why do you want to learn MMA?" she asked

"So I can protect the ones I care about from the Phantoms should they ever return" I replied, causing her to go wide eyed and frozen

"What the hell does that mean? What's a Phantom?" she asked, and I forgot that America hasn't seen anything of the sort

"Oh, sorry, I'm what's known in China as a Xing Warrior. My mentor could no longer teach me, so I've come here in search of training. Phantoms are dark beings that invaded china long ago, and are always at risk of returning" I said, smiling as I took another sip of my fizzy drink

"And I'm supposed to believe that how?" she asked

"I'll prove it when we're somewhere not so public. Don't want to start a panic, do we?" I asked in reply

"Alright, whatever…if you're done, we can go. Need to get you back into those American cloths" She said, grabbing the wrappers and things from her food and throwing them in a plastic bin

"Alright" I replied, copying what she did

We then grabbed the various clothing items and walked back to her car. She drove us back to her apartment and put me in another small room, where she had me put on the black shirt, "boxers", socks, the pants, and the shoes. All the heavy clothing definitely felt different from my normal silk wear. When I was dressed I slung my bow over my shoulder again and walked out, hearing a gasp.

"Ok, with that bow you look like a sexy archer now!" she said, seeming very excited

"The cloths are heavy" I replied

"You'll get used to it," she stated, then placed her hands on her hips, "Now about proving to me that you are this Xing Warrior thing and that Phantoms are real…" she trailed off

"What would you like to see?" I asked

"I don't know, just make me believe" she replied

"Alright, come outside with me" I said, walking out the front door

When we were outside, I picked her up in my arms, causing her to yelp.

"What are you doing?! Put me down!" she yelled

"You wanted proof, so hold on" I replied, getting ready to fly

"Yeah proof, not rape! Put me AAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed as we took flight

I flew her high enough to be able to see over the buildings, while she held on very tight. She wasn't going to be dropped, I knew that much. Once I found a good spot to just hover, I did and began to speak.

"You see, Xing possess amazing abilities that allow them to do amazing things. Apparently, I'm a very special Xing. I can control light, color, and when mastered my mentor told me I'd be able to bend time and space, but I think that's an exaggeration" I said

"Ok, that's cool, can we please go back to solid ground?" she asked

I laughed and flew us back down to the entrance of her apartment, then put her down. We walked back inside and sat on her couch.

"So, now I'm scared…you say these phantoms can't be killed by anything but a Xing, and you and your mentor are the only two left?" she asked for clarification

"That about covers it, yeah. And in case you were wondering, Phantoms are actually people who were too strong to stay dead, so they come back as beings of darkness" I replied

"Well, in that case you can crash here if you like. Hotels won't let you take a bow in" she offered, sounding more like she was asking me to stay

"That would be nice, but are you sure? I don't want to intrude…" I replied

"No, it's fine, I could use the company. Most my friends are off at college and can't hang out" she said, talking rather quickly in the beginning

"Well alright, I'll stay. I hope you realize that I could be here for well over a year depending on how training goes" I said

"All the better, I could teach you a few American skills to show your friends back home" she said enthusiastically

"Alright, if you're sure about this" I replied, then thought about all the things I wanted to try

"What you thinking about?" she asked

"All the things I want to try while I'm here. Cheeseburgers and moving pictures and amusement parks. From what I've heard, they're all quite amazing" I replied

"Well, I've got tons of movies here, and there're restaurants all over that sell burgers. Why don't you wait here, and I'll go grab some to-go burgers" she said, grabbing her purse

I thought about it and told her to wait a minute, then took out some money from my bag, handing it to her.

"My treat" I said

"Well, you're quite the gentlemen. Wait here, I'll go get the burgers" she said, and then walked out the door

I took the spare time to take out the painting Niki made and just look at it. After a few minutes I decided to take inventory. I took out all the items I had, which included the painting, the letter, all my new cloths, my old ones, my bow, the money, and another piece of paper that I hadn't yet looked at. It only had one symbol, plus Chinese writing that read: this is a Xing Messenger symbol. Whenever you miss us, just use it. I decided not to for the moment, for fear of it being a one-time usage. Beth arrived back just as I finished putting my stuff away, bringing in two bags, both with a big yellow M on them, along with some clown dog. After we got settled with the food, she put on a movie she called The Forbidden City and after watching it, I went to bed on her couch, drifting into a peaceful sleep.

**Well, I'm gonna end the chapter there. In America now, yay! Bye-Bye**


	6. The Big Apple

**I'm back, and yes, the part in America is closer to the 21'st century. I don't really like history, so I don't pay attention very well, but if you'd like a better explanation in further detail I posted my reasoning in the reviews. On with the chapter!**

Chapter 6

I woke to the sound of someone moving around in the kitchen. I instantly shot up, bow in hand and aimed over the counter at whoever was inside.

"WHOA, whoa, it's just me!" Beth yelled, shielding her face

I put my bow down, sighing.

"You shouldn't do that...and try to protect more just your face in the future" I replied, sitting back down on the couch and grabbing my a clean shirt from my pack

"Sorry, I'm an early riser. How do you take your Coffee?" she asked, taking out some weird can, a black scooper, and a big white weird looking thing

"My what?" I asked

"Oh yeah, you've never had Coffee have you? I'll just give it to you how I take it" she said, putting two scoops of what looked like black powder into the white machine, then hitting a button

I heard the machine start making weird noises as she grabbed a clear class pot and placed it in a slot in the machine. She then walked over and sat down on the couch next to me.

"So we found an MMA gym nearby, when do you want to head down there?" She asked

"As soon as possible, I'd like to master the art and get back to china" I replied

"Alright, I guess we could go after breakfast. And we're gonna want to dress warmly, cuz winter is coming. Gonna be cold today-SHIT!" she randomly exclaimed, slapping her palm to her face

"What?" I asked, slightly smiling

"I forgot to pick you out a sweater" she replied

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to it. Have you seen those cloths I was wearing? No thermal whatsoever" I said, laughing

"Ok, I'll take your word for it. Let me get the coffee and then I'll make some eggs" she replied, getting up and walking back into the kitchen

I sat there tying my shoe laces the way she taught me, having to make multiple attempts before I deemed them correct, and then double knotting them. When she came back she handed me a cup of a lighter brown, very hot drink. The heat surprised me as I wrapped my hand around the cup. I was very careful as I took my first sip from the cup. It tasted odd, but also good. I drank it slowly in comparison to Beth, who drank as quickly as possible without burns. When she finished, she stood up and walked back into the kitchen, opening a big white box that was about as tall as her and taking out a small carton. She also took out a back which had words on the front that spelled "Graded Cheese" and put those items on the counter. She then went back in the big box, grabbing a square white stick, and a jug filled with what looked like milk.

I stopped paying attention as I decided to look out the window. The sun was only barely beginning to show itself on the horizon, giving the sky an orange glow, and making the clouds seem like stripes across the orange sky. It reminded me of my old mentor, and partially saddened me. But I brushed it off as Beth handed me a plate of what she called Scrambled Eggs with Melted Cheese. I didn't really focus on the taste as I put it down as quickly as possible.

"Do that every day and you'll have a good chance of choking yourself" she said, laughing as she ate her food

"Well, I've gotta get that food into my system a while before training starts. Otherwise it slows me down" I replied matter-of-factly

She just laughed and kept eating. When she finished, she took the plated and cups and put them somewhere in the kitchen, then walked in the direction of her room, stopping only to say what she was doing and what I should do.

"I'm going to change into something warmer, but you should put on those B-Ball shorts we got you. They prefer it when you wear shorts" she said, then walked down the hall to her bedroom

While she was in there, I stripped off my pants and put on the shorts. They were soft and light, but still not silk. They were black with orange in some areas, and also quite baggy. The waist band seemed to be made of some kind of elastic band, because they were stretchy yet still clung to my waist as if they were too small. I found them quite interesting. A few minutes later, Beth came out wearing a grey over shirt with a hood, blue pants that seemed to be very tight, and tan boots that seemed quite fluffy.

"You ready to go?" she asked, picking up her purse and grabbing her keys

"Yeah, but do you think we could walk? Driving has a lack of exercise that doesn't feel right" I requested

"I guess it's only a few blocks away" she said, putting her keys down and walking to the door

I smiled and walked with her, holding the door to let her go first. She locked the door behind us and started walking down the sidewalk into the crowd. When we got there, she grabbed ahold of my hand. I looked at her questioningly.

"So we don't get separated. You don't know your way around the city" she said, and then before I could reply she started pulling me along

We walked with a group of people across the street and turned left, then after a couple streets we turned right, and then stopped next to what she called a "Dark Alley."

"Usually I wouldn't do this, but if we cut through this alley we'll be there in no time. But since I've got you, I don't really have to worry about stupid thugs" she said, then began dragging me into the alley

"Are you sure? It's part of the Xing Code not to fight unless it involves training or defending myself" I said, trying to slow her down a little

"Its fine, anyone dumb enough to attack you will have a pipe or something, so you'll be defending yourself" She replied, pulling me along

The alley was long and definitely dark, as we were already half way through and I still couldn't make out the facial features of the people on the other end. I wasn't paying attention until I felt Beth wrap her arms around the one she was holding very tightly. I looked at her and saw her staring ahead, and when I looked a saw some dogs all dressed in black, some holding metal pipes and others holding chains.

"These are the thugs I was talking about" She said, tightening her grip

I nodded and shrugged her off my arm, pushing her back behind me and taking my bow off my back.

"You two lost?" one of them asked

"N-No, we're just h-heading that way" Beth replied, her voice trembling

"We don't want any trouble, just let us by and we can forget about this" I said, getting into a defensive position

"You really aren't in the position to make demands, man" the same one said, motioning behind me

When I turned around, I saw a big bull dog holding Beth's body subdued in one arm and making sure she couldn't scream by holding her mouth in his other. I felt my blood quickly begin to boil as I tried to charge, but was grabbed from behind by a couple other dogs.

"This doll is coming with us, and don't worry. She'll be home, maybe. I'm sure a girl like this will enjoy what we're gonna give her" the bull dog said, beginning to walk away

I wasn't exactly sure what he meant, but as I saw more fear enter Beth's eyes, I knew I had to stop it. I pulled myself free from the grip of the two dogs holding me, and then elbowed them in their guts. They fell to their knees as the third one behind me charged with a pipe. I did a backflip over him and hit him in the head, causing him to fall to the ground unconscious. As I was about to charge, I saw the bull dog holding some weird metal object to Beth's head.

"Yo, Asian! You know what this is? It's a gun, and with one pull of this button your friend is dead. Now you just stay right there, and I might let her live" he said, stepping toward an entrance to another alley inside the one we were already in

I didn't fully believe him, but I didn't dare call his bluff. I stood still as he left my line of sight, and then I heard screaming. I ran to the place they went, and saw him running with Beth in his arm to the other side of the alley. I saw him start firing the gun straight up, clearing away the crowd so he could go through. I took off sprinting after them, pushing through a bunch of people talking into little metal devices. When I made it into the street, I couldn't see them anywhere. I began to panic as I looked frantically, calling out Beth's name as I searched everywhere. I began losing hope, but then remembered that I could find her by searching for her unique life force. As I focused, I searched for her. I could feel her close, to my left. I turned that way but only saw a large building, so I kept searching. She was moving in a spiral, slowly going up. She must be going up the stairs in that building! I ran over to it and entered. It was another apartment building, filled with people. I eventually found a sign pointing to the stairs, and kept running through the crowd of people to the stairs. I pushed through a door and looked up, and could very faintly see them running up, probably 20 stories or more up. Without wasting time, I took to flight going straight up, until I was close. I could hear Beth's crying, but then it suddenly went away with the sound of a door. Out of sight, I landed on the staircase and started searching for her again. She was moving away from me, but at one level. I climbed the stair to the correct floor and opened the door I found. The floor was carpeted and the hallway was filled with doors. I ran down the hallway, sensing where she was. She wasn't moving anymore, so I ran down to where the correct door was and listened to make sure I didn't break down the wrong door.

"If you scream, or struggle, you'll not live through this" a familiar bull dog said, followed by the whimpering of a familiar girl and the ripping of cloths

I instantly kicked the door down, running in and jump-kicking the bull dog off of her. He hit the wall and was painfully knocked out. I looked at Beth to check on her, but instantly averted my gaze as her shirt and whatever she used to cover her chest were both in shreds on the floor, leaving her bare. I quickly took off my shirt and gave it to her, then once again averted my gaze. After a few second, I felt her wrap me in a hug and began crying. I hugged her back comfortingly, trying to process everything that just happened. The hug lasted a few minutes, but was interrupted by a German Shepherd walking in wearing a blue and black uniform and holding a gun aimed at me.

"Step away from the girl, now!" he yelled

At first I thought it was another thug, and was about to attack, but I read the badge he was wearing. New York Police Department, Officer McBride. Knowing I shouldn't attack a law man, I stepped away with my hands on my head.

"Drop the bow" he commanded

I took my bow off my back and dropped it, kicking it over to him.

"Officer, wait! He's the one who just saved me, the rapist is over there!" Beth said, pointing at the unconscious Bull Dog on the ground

The officer glanced between the two of us, seeming doubtful.

"Why is he the one without a shirt then?" he asked

"Because he gave his to me after that dude ripped mine to shreds" She replied, motioning to the pieces of clothing littering the floor

"Well, I guess this guess a hero then" he said, putting the gun in a slot in his belt and walking over to the unconscious dog, putting him in metal wrist chains

I walked over and picked up my bow, putting it on my back. I then noticed a couple more officers walk in, this time two cats. One grey and one tan. The tan one seemed to be the stronger one as he went over and helped carry out the unconscious thug.

"What's the bow?" the remaining officer asked

I again had to think of a good lie, and it took me all of two seconds.

"In her words, it makes me look like a sexy archer" I replied, grinning at Beth

The officer rolled his eyes and walked out following his partners. Beth then hugged me once again, silently this time. After a few more minutes, she broke away and grabbed her purse from where the dog had thrown it, checking that everything was there.

"He didn't take anything, thank god. Do you still wanna go to the MMA place, or can we just go home?" She asked

I was about to reply, but the tan cat walked back in.

"Sir, we'd just like to thank you for your help today. Is there anything you need right now?" he asked

I thought for a moment, wondering what I could use this opportunity for. I finally decided I'd go to the gym, but have her brought home.

"If you could have her brought back to her apartment, I'm heading down to the gym" I replied, then looked at Beth as she mouthed the words "thank you"

"Sure, not a problem" he said, then we all walked back down to the lobby

He led Beth into a blue black and white car, putting her in the back seat. I waved goodbye as she turned the corner. I then walked back into the alley and through it towards the place where she said the gym was. When I got back into the public, I saw a sign across the street that said "Johnson MMA Training Gym", so I flew over the cars and landed on the sidewalk. I walked in and instantly realized how hot they had it in there. I was seriously glad I was no longer wearing a shirt. I looked around for somewhere to sign up, or do something so I could be trained. I saw a few people in line leading up to a desk, which had a sign on it that said "Registration/Sign In," so I walked over and stood in line. It didn't take long to get to the front, where a hair was signing people in.

"Name please" she said

"Fisk" I replied

"Full name please" she restated

"That is my full name" I replied

"Sir, we need a last name to find out who you'll be training with today" She clarified

"I don't have a last name, I'm here to sign up to be trained" I said, getting slightly worried

"Ok, sugar. Let's see, we'll just put Fisk as your last name, OK? Now, what days best suit you?" She asked

"Every day would be nice" I replied, surprising her

"You sure about that? Training here can wear a person down" she asked

"Yes"

"Alright, sir, it's your choice. You're lucky; we have a new trainer starting today who has no clients yet. He can start you right now, if you like" she said, causing me to smile and nod

"Ok, give him this when he finds you. Just go wait over by the octagon" she said, handing me a piece of paper and sending me to a big cage with eight sides

I waited for barely any time before what looked like another otter like the one from the boat I arrived in.

"You must be Fisk. I'm Ronny, and I'll be your trainer" he said, taking my hand and shaking it

"That's me. The lady at the front desk told me to give this to you" I said, handing him the piece of paper

He took the paper and looked it over, eyes going wide as he saw the schedule.

"Whoa, looks like I got you every week day. You're a serious trainee aren't you?" he asked

"Wait a minute, I wanted everyday" I replied, taking the piece of paper back and looking it over

"Dude, we aren't open on weekends. That's worker personal time" he said, putting on some weird gloves, "You can leave that paper and the…bow, on the bench there. Also, lose the shoes and socks, don't need em'"

I happily complied, taking the socks and shoes off first and letting the air hit my feet. I then took off my bow and placed it with my shoes on the bench.

"Alright, first, we're gonna see how strong you are. Brute strength won't win it, but it sure as hell helps" he said, leading me over so a big cylinder-shaped bag hanging from a chain attached to the ceiling. "Just punch this thing as hard as you can, and the force of the blow will show up here on this screen" he said, showing me a little electronic screen like the one at Beth's place

I nodded and walked up to the bag, preparing to punch. As I focused my power into the punch, I could feel energy rushing to all the muscles controlling my arm. As I punched, the bag went flying nearly to the wall, but the chain just caused it to swing really high. I took my attention off the bag to look at the screen, but paid for the mistake in about two seconds. The bag swung back at me and knocked me down painfully, causing Ronny to start laughing as he helped me up.

"Rookie mistake. But that was an impressive hit. If I ever get you a match, you'll need to not hit so hard" he said, then brought me into the big octagon. "I'm gonna teach you the basics of MMA first. Stance and defense are your best friends" he said, showing me the correct stance, which I mimicked

All the stance was was holding your hands in front of your face balled into fists. He then showed me multiple maneuvers for dodging, blocking, and counter attacking. By the time we were done and I pre-paid for the month, it was getting dark out and was raining. I walked back to the Apartment in the rain, knocking on the door for entry. Beth opened it and let me in, handing me a shirt to put on. I denied it at first, entering the bathroom so I could take off my clothes and dry them off. When I and my clothes were dry, I put them back on and walked out, putting the shirt on that she me. We then sat on the couch, her sitting very close to me, leaning against my shoulder.

"How you holding up?" I asked

"Fine…I don't know how to thank you for helping me like that" she said, wrapping her arms around the one she was leaning against

"Don't thank me for anything. It's the Xing Code to protect those we care about. Friends, family, and everything in between. Strength, Honor, Glory, Mercy…these are the ways of the Xing. Uphold the weak and strike down the wicked to the last breath and bring fourth the light" I replied, quoting the Code

"You care about me?" she asked, looking me directly in the eyes

"Of course…your my friend, right?" I answered, staring right back. Her expression turned sad

"Oh" she said, taking her gaze off me and looking down

"What's wrong?" I asked

"I…I was hoping you'd think of me as more…" she replied, clearly growing sad

I thought about that for a minute or two. More than just a friend? Does she speak of companionship, or just very close friends? In this area, I was clueless.

"What do you mean by 'more'?" I asked

"I mean like I was hoping you might…like me" she replied, looking at me again

"I do like you. That's how we're friends" I replied, causing her to slightly smile

"I like that pureness of heart you have, but it does make you quite dumb" She said, then quickly leaned in and pressed her lips to mine

I was surprised, eyes going wide and looking down at her face. Her eyes were closed as she lingered in that spot, but I didn't return the kiss. I lost count of how long she was there, but when she finally broke away, her eyes went wide and she apologized before running down the hall to her bedroom. What was that all about? I really wasn't sure, but I knew that somehow she was really upset over what she just did. I walked the same direction she'd gone until I reached her door, and then listened. She was talking to someone, and obviously crying.

"But he didn't even kiss back! I should've known he didn't like me" She said, followed by some extremely quiet noises

"Jenny, how can I look at him again? That was a dumb ass move! I might as well have stripped naked and asked him if he wanted to!" she yelled into the phone, surprising me

I decided I didn't want to hear the rest, so I walked back to the front room and took off my shirt, leaving my shorts on. I then lay down on the couch and did my best to sleep, while still thinking a lot. Eventually I fell asleep, but it only felt like mere moments as I woke to the sound of an ear-piercing scream coming from Beth's room. I instantly grabbed my bow and ran down the hall, bursting into the room with bow aimed and string drawn. I moved my aim around the room, looking for whatever caused her to scream, but found nothing.

"What'd you see?" I asked, still looking around

"Nothing, sorry. It was just a bad dream…about that guy" She replied, shifting in her bed

"Oh, ok…I guess I can just say goodnight then" I said, lowering my bow and walking towards the door

"WAIT!" she exclaimed, getting me to turn around, "Can you stay…please?" she asked

I thought for a moment, and then nodded, going over and sitting on the floor by the bed. I wasn't able to fully sit though, as I felt a pair of hands grab me and pull me up onto the bed.

"I mean here" She said, moving the blankets aside as she forced me to lie down

"You sure?" I asked

"Positive…I need to feel protected" She said, covering us with the sheets and laying her head on my chest

We were silent from then, as only our breathing could be heard. Eventually hers slowed to a steady rhythm, sleeping peacefully. I stayed awake for a while, contemplating the situation at hand. It was gonna be quite difficult leaving her if she was still like this by the time I left. I decided to think about it after training was over tomorrow. I slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

**OK, I'm gonna end this one there. I had someone ask in a review if my characters were based off of Jay Naylor, and I honestly didn't know who or what Jay Naylor was, so I looked it up. Turns out, he's a comic writer with an…adult furry theme. He has characters named Fisk, Lucy, and Beth as well. But let me set this straight: it was a really big coincidence! My Fisk is a panther, not a house cat, and my Lucy is a bunny, not a house cat. Beth…is actually quite similar, but again, it was a chance happening. If Jay decides to read this fic, I apologize, I had no intent to "mimic" your characters. I just thought I'd clear that up, so…yeah. I'll see you guy's next chapter! **


	7. A Day Out

**I'm back! Spring break is over, so I won't be posting daily anymore…at least until summer vacation before I go on to high school. I promise I'll do my best. I've stopped doing my writing on my lap top, so the technical difficulties will be at the minimum. I wonder if anybody actually reads these notes I leave…oh well, I don't know. Read on, my fans! :p**

Chapter 7

I woke the next morning in the exact same position. Beth was draped across me chest, and my arms were wrapped around her to make sure she remained feeling protected. The only thing that had changed was the blanket had been moved off of us, so I could see what she was…or otherwise wasn't wearing. She was in nothing save for a skimpy night shirt and pair of panties, her tail sticking out the back. I moved from the bed, careful not to wake her as I lay her back down on the bed. I then grabbed my bow from the table beside the bed, careful to not make any noise, and then walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind me. I walked down the hall into the living room, where I found my pack. I opened it and dug through it, finding and pulling out the painting Niki made for me. I sat on the couch with it in hand, just staring at the younger version of myself. It looked like the ten-year-old version of me, sitting aside the nine year-old version of Niki. I sighed, growing sad as I realized just how much I missed home.

"Is that your girlfriend?" I heard behind me, causing me to jump

"Don't do that…it's not good to scare people like me. But no, she's not…she's just a really good friend" I replied, putting the picture away

"You miss home, don't you?" she asked, sitting down next to me

"A lot…but I can't go back before I master MMA. But training apparently won't resume until Monday, given that it's now the weekend" I replied, leaning back

It was silent for a while, as if we were both unable to speak. It lasted for only a few moments, but it seemed like an eternity. She finally spoke up and broke the unending silence.

"You know what? You need a day out…just to enjoy America while you can. I'll call my friends and we can plan out the day" She said, and before I could argue she was already on her way down the hall

I figured she was most likely right. A day to get my mind on positive things might be a good thing, so I grabbed a clean pair of boxers, black pants, and a green shirt with a surfer on the front. It, like all my shirts, was tight against my muscular body. Just as I buttoned the pants, Beth walked back in talking on the phone.

"Yeah, he's hot, but he seems distant…something that requires more than just liquor and a night in bed with me, now stop being a pervert, Roy. Get Mag and meet us in Times Square. He needs to get out and have a little fun. I know its short notice, but I've talked to her about him, and she'd want to meet him in person. Just…just do it! I'll give you five bucks if she says no" she said into the phone, then hung up and put it in her pocket

"What was that all about?" I asked, putting on my shoes

"Just getting some of my friends to show up. It's gonna be quite cold for the next week, followed by a bit of snow. So while we're out we can get you some winter gear" She replied, sitting down and putting her own shoes on

"OK, so when do we leave?" I asked, placing my bow over my shoulders

"Now, actually. First we're gonna head to IHop for breakfast, and then the mall for a couple jackets for you. Then we'll come back here to drop it off and head down to the music store to get you an instrument to learn to play. Then we'll come back here to start learning" She replied, standing up and grabbing her purse and keys

"Ok, just a second. I'm low on cash after the past spending, so I've got to make more" I replied, taking my bow off my shoulder and aiming it at the couch

"Hey, don't blow up my couch!" she yelled as I shot a Xing arrow and the room lit up

When the glow faded, on the couch lay two small stacks of $20 bills and $50 bills. I picked them up and handed them to Beth as she stared wide eyed.

"Don't do that trick in public…cuz people will start using you to make major withdrawals" She said, putting the money into her purse

"Noted" I replied while placing putting my bow back around my shoulders

From there we left. We drove for a few minutes before parking in a random spot. She said from there we were walking since traffic would be terrible in the area we were going. As we walked, she locked herself around my arm. She was lightly trembling, watching wearily every time some big dude walked by. I knew she was scared thinking about what happened the preceding day, and thought it a good idea to try and comfort her. I pulled my arm free from her grip and wrapped it around her back, whispering as I told her not to worry, and that I would protect her. As we entered an extremely crowded area, I held on to her tighter for reassurance that I would not let anyone take her. After a few more minutes of walking through that area, she broke away from me and ran over to a couple of people. A Hair and a small cat, a little smaller than Beth. Beth wrapped the other cat in a hug, and then hugged the hair, which was slightly taller than her. I jogged through the crowd to get to them.

"You must be Fisk! I'm Roy" the hair said as he reached out and shook my hand

He was a tiny bit shorter than me, his plush fur completely black with tan surrounding one eye. The cat, who I assumed was Mag as she whispered things back and forth, was completely tan all over. After they finished whispering, Mag walked over to me and hugged me for reasons unknown.

"Thanks for saving her yesterday. My brothers on the police force, and I told him about you. He says if it's true, then they could use someone like you on the force" She said, breaking away from the hug

"No problem, but no thanks. I wouldn't be able to be there on demand" I replied, crossing my arms, "Now I'm starving. Can we get some food?"

They all laughed at what I said. Then I was grabbed on either side by the two cats and lead into a building. I saw a lot of tables and in front of it all was a lady in blue and white.

"How many in your party?" She asked

"Four, and a booth if possible" Beth replied

The lady nodded and led us to a booth in the back corner. I took note that a bunch of people in a table were staring at me. They were all wearing leather vests and weird hats, along with old style sun glasses, and they were also all very large. I acted like I didn't notice as I sat down next to Mag on one side while Beth and Roy sat across from us. I picked up what was called the Menu and looked through it. Pictures of Pancakes, French toast, and Eggs. When another lady, a tan dog, walked up to the booth, she had a pen and pad of paper in hand.

"Can I get Ya'all somthin to drink?" She asked in a country-girl accent

"Yeah, I'll take a Hot Chocolate" Roy said

"Same here" Beth agreed, followed by another agreement from Mag

"Make that four" I said, following the chain of people saying that

When she left, I went back to browsing the Menu, searching for something that looked good. I eventually settled on the Strawberry-Banana Pancakes. I put my Menu down and listening to the conversation the three of them were having.

"This dude was strong, and he really wanted some of this. He dragged me up twenty or so floors before pulling me into a room, where he just ripped off my shirt and bra, then held a knife to my throat. He told me not to make any noise, or he'd kill me, and just as I was about to give up hope, the door breaks down and Fisk takes this guy out with one kick! Then the cops came in and tried to arrest Fisk, but lucky for him I told them who to arrest" Beth said, telling the story of her near rape

"Sounds like Fisk is quite strong" Roy said, and then I felt Mag start feeling my bicep

"Very strong…he feels like he's been chiseled out of marble!" she said

"Stop it…I don't like to show off" I said quietly as I pulled my arms free

"And not to mention these…strange abilities he has" Beth said

"He's bigger than Brian?!" Mag asked in a rather loud voice

"What? No! Well, not like I know anyways…quit being so slutty!" Beth yelled, grabbing the attention of the table of big dudes in leather

"OK, I think we should change the subject, before we end up in another situation like yesterday" I said, blushing underneath my black fur

Sorry…his powers are beyond explanation. He'd need to show you like he showed me when the time comes. So, what are your guy's plans for the summer?" Beth asked

"We were planning to go camping out in the wild for a month, but we're short on funds for supplies" Roy replied just as the waitress returned with four steaming cups

"Four hot chocolates, ready to drink! Ya'all ready to order, or do ya need a spill more time?" She asked

"I'll have the Loaded Bacon and Potato Soup and a cheeseburger, no unions, mustard, or lettuce" Roy said, and the waitress wrote it down

"How bout you, sugar?" She asked, looking at Beth

"All you can eat buttermilk Pancakes, please. Add whipped cream" she replied, handing the waitress her and Roy's menus

"And what can I get you sweaty pie?" She asked, now looking at Mag

"French toast, bacon on the sides. I take me eggs scrambled with a hint a pepper" she replied

"Alrighty then…and how bout you hon?" She asked, now looking at me

"The strawberry-banana pancakes" I replied

"And how do you take your eggs?" she asked

"Like her's" I replied, motioning to Mag and hoping I'd like them that way, not knowing how to explain how I like my eggs

"Alright. It'll be a while I reckon before your food gets here, so enjoy the chocolate" she said, then left with the menus

"So, about those funds," Beth said, "if you let us tag along, I'm sure we could help out with the funds"

"That would be amazing, but then with you guys the needed money would double" Roy replied

"Money is no issue with us anymore. Give us a location, date, time, and price, and we'll handle it. But you get to pay for breakfast" She said, smirking at him

"Thanks Beth! You're the best!" Mag said as she leaned over the table and hugged Beth

"Sure thing, Mag. Watch your tits before the end up in my drink" Beth replied, making Mag and Roy laugh

We were silent from there, each of us drinking our hot chocolate. I copied Roy and ate the white stuff on top called Whipped Cream and then drank the chocolate. It was hot, but it didn't bother me. I drank until it was gone, just in time for the first plates to arrive.

"Alright, we've got a soup and burger, and some all-you-can-eat pancakes, for these two darlings. Yours will be out shortly" she said, and then walked off

We still remained silent, two of us, that being Beth and Roy, already eating. I could feel a pair of eyes on me…Mag's eyes to be specific. I didn't look, but I knew she was staring. It was kinda hard to miss, since she seemed to be making no attempt to hide it. When her's and my food arrived, we ate quickly. I at first didn't exactly know what to do with the silver wear placed in front of me, but after once again copying Roy, I figured it out. After we ate, we all went to our respective vehicles and drove to the same mall where we originally got my cloths. This time though, I was sent with Roy to go to the music store to start looking at instruments to get a feel for what I would like before going to a better music store.

"So, how much do you know about being a musician?" Roy asked as we walked through the mall

"Nothing whatsoever" I replied

"Well, we've got a place to start, I guess" he replied as he led me into a music store

As we walked in, I saw many things alien to my own perception of instruments. Under a sign labeled "Concussion" was a series of large things called drums. There must've been a thousand different kinds! I moved on from that area and looked at a section labeled "Strings". This area grabbed my attention, as I noticed some items that looked similar to some instruments back in China. I walked over and picked up an instrument that was behind a sign that said "Acoustic Guitars" and sat on a small stool. The guitar was beautiful…the strings were all metal wires and the wood was a darker color. As I held it the way a picture depicted, it seemed to just fit in my arms, but I noticed a flaw. The head "Neck" of the instrument was too short, so I put it back and continued looking in that section. But my time of searching seemed much too short as Roy walked over and said that the girls were done, so we needed to go.

"Alright" I replied, sounding slightly disappointed

We walked back out to the cars, putting the bags in the trunks and getting back in the front seats. This time I rode with Mag as Roy rode in Beth's car. We drove in silence, music playing on the radio. She said that it was her favorite artist playing, Phil Collins. The song playing was called Look Through My Eyes. It was actually quite good, so I noted the artist. When we got back to the apartments, Roy and I were told to wait outside while they brought the cloths inside.

"So, you're like…a really strong and really fast fighter, huh?" he asked, stepping closer to me

"More or less, yeah" I replied

"Dodge this!" he yelled as he threw a punch at my face

To dodge I slightly leaned to the side, then to get my point across I grabbed his arm and spun, bringing my elbow within a centimeter of his face, leaving him stunned.

"Ok, I think I'm a believer now" he said, signaling me to let go

Just as I did, Beth and Mag walked out.

"Ok, let's head down to the music store. It's only a block away, so we can walk" Beth said, starting her way down the block

"I think I know what I want" I said as I jogged up next to her, "a guitar"

"Sweet! That way, once you learn, we can play together and stuff" She said, again latching on to my arm as we entered a crowded area

"You play?" I asked

"Yeah, just not in front of people unless it's a performance I've been practicing for a while" She replied

"I see…well, then maybe we could play together" I said, smiling

"Maybe even a duet. How's your singing?" she asked

"Don't know…never tried" I answered, then adjusted my bow so I didn't have to hold it on my shoulder

As we broke free of the crowd, I saw the music store up ahead. It was on a corner of a block, and didn't seem to be very popular. As we walked in, I saw an amazing collection of guitars right up front. I walked over instantly with Beth still in tow. I walked over and began inspecting the acoustic guitars, trying to find one that looked similar to the one I saw at the mall.

"This one's a good brand" Beth said, showing me a light tan Guitar with gold highlights along the rims

"Let me see" I said, taking it in hand

It was around the same weight, and seemed to be the best there was in the arsenal of musical items. I decided it'd work, so I agreed with her. After buying it, a pic, a spare set of strings, and a mechanical tuner, we walked back to the apartments. After saying goodbye to Roy and Mag, we walked inside and I took the guitar out of its case while Beth went to her room to grab hers. When she returned, she asked if I'd taken any likings to any artists yet.

"Yeah, Phil Collins seems interesting" I replied

"Ugh, Mag…I'm not able to help you with that one. How about this" she said, and then started playing notes on her guitar. "Things swiftly come and go, I'm dreaming of her. She's seeing other guys, emotions a-stir. The sun is gone…the nights are long…and I am left while the tears fall. Did you think that I would cry-y, on the phone? Do you know what it feels Li-ike, being alone? I'll find someone kneeeeew. Swing swing swing from the tables of, my heart is crushed by a former love. Can…you…help…me…find a way to carry on again" She sang, then stopped

"Sounds good. You write that?" I asked

"No, but it's by one of my favorite bands. Swing Swing by The All American Rejects" She replied, sitting beside me and helping me tune my guitar

She tuned it and then grabbed her guitar and slung the strap over her head. I removed my bow and mimicked what she did.

"Let's start with something simple. This is from a video game I used to play, and always wanted to perform it, but never got the guts. It's fairly simple…it's called Guide You Home, and the artists name I can't pronounce. It's a good start cuz it's a two part duet, so we can easily integrate the separate parts. I know both, so I can teach you the boy's part. Do what I do" she said, putting her fingers in select frets

As she did that, I put my fingers in the same places, and then copied her as she began to strum. Eventually I got the gist of playing the guitar, and she said I was quite the prodigy because I was getting it so quickly. The following weeks were hard. Winter turned to spring and I became a decent guitar player. My MMA skills grew and I learned how to better control my strength after Ronny showed me the training. I learned the play multiple songs chosen by Beth, but rarely found time to practice and Phil Collins songs. I decided to first learn Look Through My Eyes, and then move on to the harder songs. I went on YouTube and searched for a tutorial, soon finding one. Beth was out with her new boyfriend so I had time to practice on my own, and since it was Saturday I couldn't go to the gym. I began the tutorial and began to play the song. After learning the first verse, I heard the familiar sound of a key in the lock. When Beth walked in carrying three large bags of groceries, I paused my video to go help her, grabbing two of the three bags and walking into the kitchen.

"Thanks Fisk, I was about to drop those" she said

"No problem" I replied, then went with her to go sit on the couch

"So, while I was out with Chase I saw a flyer. In Times Square, three months from now, there will be a public talent show…or I guess competition. I thought maybe we could both compete, together or apart doesn't matter. I think it'd be fun" She said

"Sounds like it, but what are we competing for?" I asked

"$100 and a nice instrument of our choice" she replied

"Sounds good…but would you prefer to do a duet or compete against each other?" I asked

"Against actually. It'd give us better odds of winning if we had two performances instead of one" she replied

"Alright then, I'll play and sing this song by Phil Collins I just started learning. On a second topic, how are the preparations for the camping trip going?" I asked

"Fairly well…we just need tents, sleeping bags, and the non-perishable foods. The rest we've got" she replied

"Cool. It's still early, so I'm gonna go for a jog" I said, taking off my pants and putting on my shorts

She's seen me in my boxers on multiple occasions, and same with me to her, so we're comfortable changing in front of each other. When my shorts were on, I removed my bow and placed it with my stuff before taking off my shirt.

"I'll be back in a while. If I'm late, don't wait for me. Just make dinner" I said while putting on my recently bought New Balance running shoes

"OK" she replied as I walked to the door

"See you later" I said

"Later"

With that I left, closing the door behind me. I then started jogging, going to Central Park so I could jog in peace. When I arrived, I began sprinting as to get more out of the jog. I passed by multiple other joggers as I kept going, but I wasn't yet tired. My years of training built up my stamina exponentially, so it barely takes any energy to sprint full speed for a half hour. I lapped around the park what must have been twenty or thirty times at full speed before that time was met, and I started to get slightly tired. But it still wasn't enough, I needed to work out more. I then took to flight, which I hadn't done in almost a month, and flew high above the park. Once I was a few stories high, I stopped and entered a free fall. As I neared the tree line, I adjusted my angle so as I saw the first branch, I grabbed it. I swung from branch to branch, dodging the dangerous ones at a speed that would've impressed even Sky. This practice was harder than the sprinting by far, especially as I started needing to break certain branches in order to avoid being impaled. After thirty minutes, I was too tired to continue these kinds of exertions, so I went back to sprinting. After a few more laps, I decided it was good enough for today, so I went back home. When I walked in, I saw that Beth was making dinner. I could hear items sizzling on the stove.

"What you making?" I asked

"Pork Steak with seasoned potatoes" she replied

"Sounds good" I said, then sat on the couch and watched the TV

"It's an MMA fight. I figured I'd watch some and prepare, since you'll probably end up in one" she said

I watched as the fight went on, and it was brutal. Two large dogs were going at it, punching each other in the gut and face, and the match ended when one was knocked out. I watched as the other one went to a corner of the octagon and some people started washing him off. His fur was stained with blood and his left eye was nearly swollen shut. The dog that lost was carried off on a cart to some place unknown, while the announcer was screaming into his microphone.

"And the rookie has done it! He's beaten the champ, through three brutal rounds of being beaten down, John Rock has beaten the American MMA Champion! The crowds here are going crazy, and I don't believe what I've just seen, folks. Here in New Jersey, the MMA Light Weight Champion has just lost his title to what can only be described as a lucky punch from a rookie!" he yelled

"That was brutal…if I'm ever in one of these fights I'll just knock out my opponent fast before it gets too bloody" I said as Beth sat down beside me and handed me a plate

"Yeah, and they're light-weight fighters. Just wait till they start the heavy-weights" She said

I nodded and began eating my food, still watching the fight.

"Well, folks, that was a light weight clash that will go down in MMA history. Now let's move on to the heavy-weights. Today we've got upstart Kent Manning coming through the south corridor," The announcer said as a heavy metal song started playing and a large Pit Bull started walking out of a hallway, doing some odd dance moves and fighting the air as he went into the octagon and over to his side, "And our more well-known Heavy Weight Champ, Hunter 'The Shredder' Johnson coming from the north corridor, and he looks fired up. I don't think he plans to go out like the last champ"

I watched as a huge looking Lion walked calmly to his position in the ring as a rap song was playing.

"They call him The Shredder because he's known to leave his opponents shredded. He makes use of his claws" Beth said as we both watched intently at the screen

"Well, Kent better do his best not to block. If he keeps his distance, and waits till an opening shows up, he'll have a better chance at winning" I replied

But he did exactly opposite what I said. Kent advanced on Hunter, closing any distance he had. He ran up to Hunter and jumped, trying to land a knee to Hunters face, but had no such luck. With impressive speed, I watched as Hunter used his claws to grab Kent's shin and pull him to the ground, then hit him with a devastating uppercut which sent him flying back, and knocking him out in the process.

"In one match that lasted less than a minute, Hunter didn't even have time to live up to his name, The Shredder has knocked out young upstart Kent Manning with a jaw-shattering uppercut!" the announcer yelled

"That's what I'm gonna aim to do. Knock out before things get brutal" I said

"Good plan, but what happens if you face him?" She asked

"I doubt it. I've never been in a fight before, what are the odds of me fighting the champion?" I asked in reply

"Good point, but it isn't totally out of question. Let me put on this movie where it actually did happen on some dudes first real match. He'd had a bunch before, but none as big as big as a match like this that airs on TV" Beth said as she got up and went over to her bookshelf that was loaded with movies

She grabbed a movie titled "Here Comes the Boom" and put the disc in her player, then switched the TV to the DVD player. After sitting beside me and hitting play, we sat in silence. The movie was quite funny in some areas, and also quite moving in others. Near the end, Beth fell asleep and fell down to where she was using my lap as a pillow. When the movie ended, it was around nine, so I decided not to wake her and just sleep there. My sleep was not pleasant, though. It was only glimpses, but through them were pieces of the past, and some looks into what could only be the future. In the past, I saw the war. Sky, Biyu, the five, Po, Niki's parents, Shifu, and the Xing prophecy fulfilled were all I saw of the past. As we entered the future, I saw the prophecy again.

_In one final conflict, two breaths turned one through the sorrow of one and the dying breath of another, the darkness shall perish, and the light be brung_

I woke with a start, grabbing my bow in my own fear as my heart was racing. I pulled back the string and aimed it at the door, where I heard a knock. I also saw Beth holding her upper arm and looking at me in fear. Upon closer inspection, I saw blood seeping through the space in between her fingers. At first I was wondering what happened, but I then realized that my claws were extended and my left ones had blood on them.

"Did I do that?" I asked, hopeful that I was wrong. She nodded

I dropped my bow to the ground rushed to her side, retracting my claws before inspecting the damage I caused. It was deep, but not too deep. I closed my eyes and focused, letting my Xing Energy heal Beth's wounds. When I opened my eyes, I saw her cuts seal, and the fur grow back. I tried not to show my guilt, but failed as a few tears fell from my eyes and I wrapped her in a hug, which she gladly returned. I was still only wearing my shorts, so it felt somewhat soothing.

"I'm sorry, Beth. I don't know what happened…I was dreaming and I…I'm so sorry" I said

"It's fine, you just had a nightmare…you didn't mean to hurt me. And you healed me, so it's all better" she replied, squeezing me tighter

After a few minutes, we heard another knock on the door, so Beth broke away to go answer while I put a shirt on. When I looked, she was talking at the door with Chase, her boyfriend.

"Yeah, he accidentally cut me, but it's not even noticeable" she said

"Alright, just checking. I heard quite the conversation while waiting at the door" he said, looking at me

"I felt really guilty…harming my friends is something I actively try to avoid" I replied, walking over to the kitchen carrying last night's dishes, though out of sight I was still able to hear what they were saying

"I still don't like him living here. What if he tries to make a move on you?" Chase asked

"He won't, he's way too young for me and secretly has his heart set on a girl back in China" Beth replied

"Well, good, cuz you all mine!" I heard, followed by giggling and the sound of them knocking into random objects

It was no mystery what they were doing, but as I saw them come into view, I saw how into it they were going.

"Get a room, I'm making breakfast here" I said as I got out eggs

After eating breakfast with Chase, I headed down to the gym with $100 and my bow. When I arrived, I saw that Ronny was on the phone talking to someone. He seemed very excited as he ran out to meet me. I understood why as he told me.

"I just got you a public fight, this Friday in the New Jersey MMA ring!" he exclaimed

I was also excited. I thanked him what must have been a million times before we actually started training. He put me in the ring with another person in the gym so I could get some experience actually fighting. My opponent was a Chimp, about a half inch taller than me and equally muscled. When Ronny rang the bell, the Chimp charged. He tried to hit me with a knee to the face like in the fight last night, so I ducked and went underneath him, causing him to slam into the chain fence that was the border of the ring. When he turned around, I put up my hands and blocked all the punches he sent at me. Eventually he left himself open, so I send a punch to the face, knocking him backwards. Because it was only training, I didn't punch very hard, or move too fast. At the end of the day I'd beaten everyone in the gym except the trainers, who didn't fight, and had gone home proud of myself. I fell asleep that night contempt and dreamless…

**Another long chapter. Review please**


	8. New Recruit

**I'm back! Once again, I'm sorry I'm not updating daily anymore. I've been trying to make up for it with lengthened chapters, but that's also hard to do. R&R please**

Chapter 8

The next couple days were 100% preparation for my fight. I used my powers to change my shorts from black to radiant gold, and cut my hair to be slightly shorter. I fought all the trainers in the gym, beating all but three since I couldn't use any form of martial arts but MMA. When Friday finally rolled along, I had to wake up earlier than usual. 5 AM sharp was when I woke up. As I opened my eyes, I couldn't help but roll back over and nearly doze off again, but I was quickly woken up by water being splashed on my head.

"Hey!" I yelled as I quickly got up from the couch

"No sleeping, you have a big fight today!" Beth said excitedly, "Now go shower while I get breakfast ready!"

I did as commanded and walked over to the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the hallway before walking in. I placed my towel on the counter and closed the door behind me, locking it. I then opened the curtain and turned the handle to turn on the water, making sure it was nice and hot. When it was ready, I stripped from my pajama pants and boxers and stepped in, letting the water properly soak into my fur before grabbing the shampoo and lathering my body and head. Once I'd rinsed the shampoo out, I washed in some conditioner to soften my body so my opponent couldn't grab ahold of me. Once I was clean, I turned off the water and used my towel as a mat. I placed it across the ground so I wouldn't slip before stepping out and heating up my body, quickly evaporating the water. I then took the towel off the ground and wrapped it around my waist tightly to ensure it didn't fall. After I was covered, I walked out to the living room and saw that Beth wasn't looking as she cooked eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast. I took the opportunity to quickly put on a clean pair of boxers and my shorts.

"Perfect timing goldy" Beth said as she brought a plate-or more like tray-of food

"Think I'll have enough food there?" I asked sarcastically

"I didn't have any more bacon" she replied, making us both laugh as she handed me the plate

I quickly wolfed down the food, and then went into the kitchen for a glass of milk. It was just as I put the milk back in the fridge when a knock was heard at the front door. I knew who it was without even looking and felt the butterflies build in my stomach.

"Come in" I yelled, followed by the door opening and Ronny walking in

"Drink that fast, we gotta leave in five minutes" he said, then screamed in pain as his otter-tail was crushed in the door, "Damn, I hate the doors that close themselves!" he yelled, making us laugh as I chugged my small glass of milk

I put the glass in the sink and ran over to grab a plan white t-shirt. I put it on along with my running shoes and as a trio we all walked out. My jaw dropped as I saw that Ronny had a rented Limo waiting for us outside.

"If you win this fight, then this Limo will pay for itself" he said as he opened the door and let Beth and I crawl in

We all took a seat beside each other and the Limo started off driving. It took a few minutes to get out of the city, but the close we got the more my balls seemed to be in my toes. My blood was running cold as we drove across the state border into New Jersey. The entire drive took around an hour, none of us able to sleep through it either. The entire time Ronny was giving me stats on my opponent and how the fight was gonna go down.

"His name is Ricardo Rodriquez, and he's not someone to laugh at. He's been in over 50 underground fights like this one, and never lost. None of his opponents have ever made it through the first round. He goes for one punch knock-outs every time, so avoid those swings. This fight is going to be on the radio, but not live TV. It'll be on YouTube for sure afterwards, but unless the video goes crazy, then it won't go to TV. Your song will be I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin. Wait for them to call your name, and then go out calmly. Intimidate him before he even gets a close up look, then-" I interrupted him

"Don't worry, I know what to do. For the first round I'll just analyze his moves while warming up a bit, then go for the kill in round two. I'll be fine, and this Limo is gonna pay for itself. Count on it" I said, giving him a "thumbs up" as we finally drove into the arena

"Good boy…now Beth, you're in charge of the stool and water. I'll take care of any injuries he sustains" Ronny said, then we all went silent

As we exited the Limo, we were silenced by the sight. At the end of our corridor was an enormous arena, filled with four different stadiums packed with people. At the center of it all was the octagon, ready to be used. We went to the place we were to start and Ronny handed me my mouth guard. Then the announcer began his routine.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm coming to you live from New Jersey state arena where we are having an amazing Heavy-Weight fight. Young fighter Fisk Thompson will be making his MMA debut against fifty-time undefeated New Jersey state champion Ricardo Rodriquez in a battle scheduled for three rounds, if the newcomer survives that long. The champs Jersey State Belt is not on the line tonight since his opponent is visiting here from the big apple, New York City" the announcer said, followed by the applause of the crowd

"Thompson?" I asked as I looked at Ronny

"They needed a last name, so I made one up" he replied without taking his gaze off the crowd

"Now ladies and gentlemen, it's time to get started! Coming from the north corner, we've got our champ, Ricardo Rodriquez!" he yelled into the mic. as a heavy metal song began playing and Ricardo ran into view, doing a lap around the ring before going inside and to his corner

"And now, making his MMA Debut, please welcome visitor Fisk Thompson!" he yelled, and I began walking out as my song began playing

I walked calmly and put a look of determination on my face as I walked out into view, keeping my eyes directed forward. Ronny and Beth were both directly behind me. As we walked, my song continued to play and I kept looking forward, looking hard on the outside but on the inside I was very nervous. When we got to the gate, I took off my shirt and shoes, handing them to Beth before walking into the ring. My heart stopped as I got to my corner and heard the gate close. No escape now, so I better be ready for a serious fight. Then the referee walked from his corner into the center of the ring.

"Fighter ready?" he asked pointing at my opponent, who I just now realized was a Husky, and he nodded while putting his hands up

"Fighter ready?" he asked, pointing at me. I nodded and put my hands up

He gave someone a thumbs-up and ran back to his corner, then I heard the bell. My opponent quickly advanced, throwing a flurry of punches at my head while the announcer called out everything that was happening. To dodge, I leaned to both my sides, then ducked as he sent a spin kick to my head. He continued his attacks, unable to land a blow. For a normal person his was pretty fast, but to me he seemed quite slow. As he continued only aiming at my head, I continued to dodge. Eventually he started aiming at my torso and my head, so dodging got a bit harder. I took a step back from him so I could check how much time we had left in the round. Fifteen seconds left, I should be able to land a good punch at the end. As he continued his advance, I backed up, counting down the seconds. On the five second mark, he went for a final desperate hit to my face, but I ducked and hit him with a devastating blow to the stomach. He stumbled back, coughing and breathing hard, until the bell rang, at which point we both went back to our corners.

"I don't believe it, folks! In all those attacks, our champ couldn't land a single blow to the newcomer, and the only blow landed in the entire round was a devastating gut blow made by newcomer Fisk Thompson, and this young fighter had managed to be the first of his opponents to ever get through round one!" the announcer said

"Good job, Fisk. Now end the next round quickly and hopefully painlessly" Ronny said as he dabbed some sweat off my head

"No problem" I replied, taking a sip from my water and standing up from my stool

They left the ring at the same time as his helpers, and then the referee did the same thing as before, before the bell rang again. This time I advanced, running up to him and acting like I was gonna try and knee his face. He fell for the trick and went to duck, and I followed his movement. I slid down on my knees and send my fist into his head, sliding underneath him as he fell to the ground unconscious. I stood up as the crowd went silent. After a few moments, they began to cheer my name.

"I don't believe it, I just do not believe it! Newcomer Fisk Thompson has won his first fight against our undefeated champ Ricardo Rodriquez by a knock out! Tonight folks, in a fight scheduled for three rounds, it has ended is less than half that time!" the announcer screamed into his microphone

Once out of the ring, Ronny led me back to where the Limo was parked.

"That was amazing, Fisk!" Beth said, hugging me

"Just for that, dinners on me! We just gotta wait for the money to be delivered here" Ronny said

We waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity before something actually happened, but what did happen wasn't the most pleasant. I saw a very familiar looking Husky emerge from the darkness of the corridor in front of us, a look of anger on his face. He stopped about three feet from us, and just stood there for a minute.

"You listen carefully, Thompson…that was the first fight I ever lost, and mark my words you'll regret making me look like a weakling!" he finally yelled

"Maybe you should just get a little better" Beth interjected, causing me to cringe

"You know what missy, you shut up!" he yelled and pulled a gun out from the back of his shorts and aiming it at Beth

I moved quickly for my bow, but my blood ran cold as I realized that it wasn't on my back. I'd left it at home! I extended my hand at him, trying to calm him down while slowly moving towards him.

"Whoa whoa, just calm down. We don't want any trouble. I know your upset, but let's not do anything rash" I said

"Stay there and don't move! Never before have I faced such embarrassment, and I won't take it lightly. But no, I won't shoot you…you only hit me twice, and I barely felt any physical pain, but mental…of that I'll make your mind burn with pain!" he finished, then set his sights once again on Beth

Knowing I had but moments to react, I charged. He aimed the gun at me but I knocked it aside and went to hit his head, but he ducked underneath it and jabbed my ribs with a painful attack. It actually hurt enough to stun me, with which opportunity he used to step back and aim the gun at me.

"FISK NO!" I heard, followed by the sound of a gun firing off

I jumped, but realized that I wasn't hit by a bullet. I opened my eyes and looked, and my heart stopped at the sight. I saw in what seemed like slow motion Beth, falling to the ground with a bleeding hole in the direct center of her chest. I instantly felt my control over my body return, and I reacted quickly. I jumped into the air and used a spin kick to knock the gun free from his hand and away from him. I then after landing did a backflip, kicking him in the chest and knocking him a few feet away. I then stood there, one hand raised and aimed at him, focusing my energy into that hand.

"Solar" I said as a ball of light formed in my hand

"SOLAR FLASH!" I screamed, sending a single beam of Xing Energy flying at him

He was barely able to jump out of the way of the blast as it flew past him, melting the dumpster that was behind him on contact and then making the remains explode in a fiery inferno. Before I know what exactly I'd just done, he was already halfway down the road. I didn't bother to chase after him, knowing I had to heal Beth quickly. As I sprinted over, it didn't even seem like Ronny had noticed what had happened as he cradled Beth, her breathing shallow. I placed my hand on where the entry wound was and tried to heal it…but it wasn't working.

"What are you doing?" Ronny asked as he hung up the phone after calling for an ambulance

"I can usually heal her…there's no time to explain. Did the bullet exit her body?" I asked

"No" he replied

My heart stopped at the answer. With the projectile still inside the wound, I couldn't heel it. And there's no way I could remove it, because I lacked the proper tools and I had no idea where the bullet was. I felt tears falling from my eyes as I saw her breathing getting more and more shallow. Just then, I hear the sound of sirens as two cop cars and an ambulance drive around the corner. Four cops pulled Ronny and I away, us fighting against it, as some medical people put Beth on a bed and brought her into the ambulance.

"Where did the shooter go?" one of them asked

"He ran that way, now let go of me! I've got to go with her!" I yelled, trying to pull myself free, but they had a tight grip

"Son, you'll only get in the way! She's in a critical condition and requires immediate removal of that bullet" The other one said as the ambulance drove off behind one of the police cars, making them finally let me go

I watched as more tears fell from my face as the ambulance disappeared from sight.

"You two, get in the car. We'll take you to the hospital" a female officer said, holding a door open for us

Ronny climbed in first, me following closely behind as the door was slammed behind us. I then heard the sirens start blaring as we drove off at speeds that in any other car would've been illegal. It took no time at all to arrive at the hospital, where we were led to the third floor and told to wait in the waiting room until they discovered more about her condition. I never sat down…I just paced across the tile floor, still only wearing my shorts as my mind went over the events that just partook at a million kilometers a second. How could this happen? It was a perfectly fair fight…how could something like this happen to someone so innocent? I paced for what seemed like hours before someone walked out and called out Beth's name. I walked up to her, hopeful that they'd fixed Beth.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but her condition is too critical for us to fix. The bullet passed into an artery by her heart, and it won't be long before it passes into her heard and stops its beating. Operating on her would only speed up the process of her death…we're very sorry" The nurse said, causing me to fall to my knees

"She's awake now, and we've given her something to stop the pain and we've stopped the bleeding, but she won't last through the night. You may go see her. But we've not told her of her condition. If she asks, and you don't have the heart to tell her, then just say that we've given her a sedative that will make her sleep, and that she'll be alright" she finished

I considered her words. Why does this have to happen to her? She was looking forward to so much…a live show where she would perform…a camping trip with all her best friends…and it was ruined because of some dude who hated losing? Bull shit. I stood up and nodded, so she led me down the hallway and into a room with two beds. The second one was empty, while the first was occupied by Beth. Her cloths were gone…replaced by the medical gown they put you in. her face was distant…conscious, but not fully.

"Hey, Beth. How you feeling?" I asked, trying to sound comforting

"Don't…don't do that. I want you to tell me the truth…am I ok?" she asked, her eyes dead serious

I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth, but I had even less of a heart enough to lie. I stayed silent for what seemed like the longest time before she read my expression and knew the answer.

"Tell Chase that he was the best boyfriend I've ever had…and tell Mag that she was the best friend I could ever wish for" she said, beginning to cry

"Please don't say your goodbyes Beth…not now" I said, beginning to cry myself, but was ignored

"And tell my parents that I'm sorry for all the shit I put them through, and I love them. Tell my brother, Greg, that I'm sorry for being such a bad little sister. And please, make sure they're all safe when I'm gone…" she said, fully crying now along with me as I nodded and grabbed her hand, kneeling down beside the bed

"OK, I will…I promise, they'll all be safe" I replied, laying my head down on her leg as we both cried

We sat there like that for a while, until my vision blackened and I fell asleep. I dreamt of my entire like up till this point…the ups, the downs, and everything in between. I continued dreaming in fragments until I first met Beth a few months ago, stopping her purse from being stolen as she chased down the purse snatcher, up until I saved her from being raped. The dream ended there as I woke. I lifted my head up from its stationary position on Beth's lap, and noticed that the room was dark and silent. The only sound that could be heard was my own steady breathing. As I felt Beth's wrist for a pulse…I realized that there was none. My heart sank as I stood from where I was. I leaned over and plated a kiss on her forehead before exiting the room and walking into the waiting room, where I saw a group of silent people, some crying, which including Ronny, Mag, Roy, Chase, and a bunch of people who looked similar to Beth. When I walked in, they all looked at me in silence.

"She's gone" I stated, once again falling to my knees

At this, they all started crying, but I had a promise to keep. I had to tell them what Beth said, no matter what the affect.

"Chase…Beth wanted me to tell you that you were the best boyfriend she ever had" I said, looking at him. He nodded as silent tears fell from his eyes

"And Mag, she wanted you to know that you were the best friend she could ever wish for" I continued, looking at Mag as she cried

"And she wanted me to tell her parents that she loved you, and was sorry for any wrongs she did you" I said, looking at the two eldest in the group who I assumed were her parents

"Where's Greg?" I asked, causing a dude who looked in his thirties to step forward

"I" he said

"She wanted me to tell you that she was sorry for not being a better little sister and that she loved you" I finished, walking to a chair at the opposite side of the waiting room and crying

Her funeral took place a week later. She was buried in a shiny black coffin with a glass roof so we could see her as she was sent down. I helped with the burying as was requested by her parents. When all was done, I bought them all dinner. We ate in silence, then said our goodbyes after I was given the lease to her apartment. Roy and Mag drove me back to the apartment, where we just sat in silence until dawn, when we finally began to talk.

"So what are you going to do now?" Mag asked me

"Is that position on the police force still open?" I asked

"Yeah" she replied

"Then I'm gonna catch this bastard and bring him to justice, or die trying" I said, my voice full of anger

"I'll tell my brother to fill in your name" she replied

"What about your training?" Roy asked

"I'm done. Ronny has nothing left to teach me, so I'll make use of my skill to avenge my fallen friends and do as promised. I'll protect her friends and family" I replied

Mag walked out with her phone in hand to go call her brother while I put on a shirt and grabbed my belongings, other than the American cloths and money, and placed them in a box at the top of the closet, my bow included. When I walked back into the room, Mag was back on the couch leaning against Roy's shoulder. She sat up on sight of me.

"My brother said that if you go in in an hour, they'll give you a uniform and put you on the case to catch Ricardo Rodriquez. They've already discovered his location, but they need to act fast. He won't be there long" Beth said

"He won't get the chance. I'm taking him out"

**I think that's a good place to end it. Major plot twist lol. Okay, so I've been getting tons of people PMing me to change the rating from T to M and write some lemons, and after talking with some of my readers and friends who read, I've been convinced to write one or two. But not until it's in a marriage and nice and clean. No one-night-stand crap. I have some dignity**


	9. The Hunt

**Sorry if the plot twist was depressing. It had to be done if Fisk were going to stay in America for the wanted time. Just a recap, he is eighteen now. And don't expect any lemons until a long while later. R&R**

Chapter 9

The hour passed by slowly as I just sat there. Sadness wasn't even a question anymore. All I felt was anger towards the creep that killed Beth. I stared straight ahead, not looking at Mag or Roy, who I could tell were staring at me with worried expressions. When Beth's clock finally went off signaling the hour was up, I got up immediately, followed by Mag who had her keys in hand.

"Let's go" she said as she let me to her car

We got in and drove silently to the NYPD station, where I was placed as a detective/officer. My job was to let the specialists do their thing in finding the criminal and then I take the lead in taking him out.

"You must be our new recruit-" one person said as they signed me in

"Save the formalities. Just sign me in, suit me up, and point me in the right direction. This S.O.B. is going down" I interrupted

The few people in the room exchanged glances before suiting me up in a bullet-proof vest and a belt which held my firearm and a club. In the hour I waited I'd changed into a plain black t-shirt and black jeans, along with my running shoes. After I was equipped, briefed and taught the basics of being an officer and using a gun, they loaded me into a car and we, along with three other cars drove off with sirens blaring to the location I was told. I sat passenger side as we drove, and I only had one mind set. It took little time to arrive at our location. When we did, I wasn't surprised that it was yet another apartment complex. As the cars parked, people took out their guns and aimed them at the building for reasons unknown.

"What's our play?" I was asked by a German shepherd

"Surround the building. If he hasn't left yet, he won't be going anywhere. I'll go in and take him out" I said, walking to the front door

They didn't dare argue and did exactly what I said. I walked through the front door and saw that the lobby was completely empty. I didn't even need to ask anyone where he was anyway. I sensed his unique aura and went to the third floor, using the stairs. When I got there, I followed my senses and found myself at the very end of the hall looking at a door that seemed rotted. I didn't even bother knocking. Fuelled by anger, I kicked the door down effortlessly.

"What the fu-OH SHIT!" he yelled as he realized who I was

I took note of the fact that he now held what I identified as a revolver pistol, semi-auto. I also saw that there was a little girl…another husky…was next to him. I took one step forward before he grabbed her and held the gun to her head. I stopped.

"That's right, you just stay right there. We don't want a little girl getting hurt, now do we?" he asked, a grin of malice on his face

I let a smirk fall across my face as I continued my advance. He tried to deter me by pulling back the safety, but I still continued.

"That won't work…not now. You kill her, I kill you. You let her go, I bring you to court and we see how you fare" I said, continuing my advance still

I saw his face harden, but then soften as he gave up and let the girl go, who quickly ran behind me. I smiled and quickly moved forward and took the gun from him. I then turned him around and cuffed his wrists behind his back. I then turned him to where he was facing me and looked into his eyes.

"That girl you killed was my friend. She didn't survive the night, and you're lucky I live by honor. Otherwise you'd be a stain on the wall right now" I said

I then noticed his eyes glance behind me, so I quickly turned around just in time to see a baseball bat heading for my skull. I quickly threw Ricardo to the ground and grabbed the bat, pulling it free from the little girl hands.

"Not a chance, missy" I said, breaking the bat on my knee

This made her scream and run into another room. I decided I'd worry about her later while I dealt with the scum I came for. I grabbed him by the cuffs and dragged him over to the window. I could see my police car from there, so I took a few steps back and prepared for a fall.

"Wait…what are you doing?!" he asked, as if it were a mystery

All he did was scream as we broke through the glass. For the first few seconds I let him fall without me, but as we neared the ground I grabbed him and did a 360 degree flip to make sure I didn't break any bones on impact with the ground. As I landed, I caught Ricardo bridal style, and then tossed him to the ground while the other officers stared in awe.

"He came mostly willingly. A little girl, who I'm guessing is his daughter, is up on the third floor hiding. She tried to assault, but it didn't work out in her favor. She's unharmed, but be careful. I don't know how many guns he has up there, so proceed with caution. After that, we're done here. Ricardo Rodriquez, you're under arrest for the murder of Bethany Carly. Get him outa my sight" I ordered

They wasted no time in running up into the building, coming down shortly after with a hand cuffed little girl. After that, she and her father were put in a car and taken away. I was then approached by a different German shepherd and a Hyena. The hyena was female.

"An overly successful first case. How'd you take that fall without breaking anything?" She asked

"Let's just say I'm a very skilled fighter. So who's buying lunch?" I asked

"On me. Names Franklyn Tank. Friends call me Tank" the shepherd said

"I'm Samantha Kale…but you can call me Sam" joined the hyena

"Fisk Thompson, but you can call me Fisk when we aren't at the station or on duty. Otherwise it's Captain Thompson" I said, facing them both and putting a fake look of seriousness on my face

"Well, Captain Thompson, where do you want to go?" Tank asked

"_All units, we have a fire in the Holliday Inn, and it's spreading. We need crowd control here now!" _I heard from the radio on my shoulder

"I guess there. Let's go!" I commanded and ran back to my car, the other two in close pursuit

We all jumped in my car, Sam driving as we headed for wherever the Holliday Inn was. Upon arrival, I was amazed. The fire was beyond what I could've imagined. It was everywhere in the building. We parked a safe distance away before stepping from the vehicle and running over to the captain of the fire department.

"What's the status?" I asked

"The fire won't go out, and we've got civilians trapped inside. We can't get in there to help them, though. The building could come down any second!" he yelled over the flames

"Get me a gas mask" I said, staring at the flame

"But sir-"

"DO IT!" I screamed

He didn't argue further as he ran to his truck, grabbing a gas mask and tossing it to me.

"Tank, make sure the crowd stays clear…I'll get out as many people as I can, but you make sure that when this place comes down that the crowd is far away" I said, making sure he got every detail

"Yes captain" he said, then ran off

"Sam, keep this contained. Make sure they focus all water on the near buildings so it doesn't spread" I commanded

She nodded and ran off, leaving me to myself. I removed my bullet proof vest and my belt, making sure I wasn't weighed down. I then put on my mask and ran for the entrance, diving through the flames that blocked it. I made sure to keep my body cool as I searched the first floor for people. I found one family of mutts, who I brought to the door and tossed through the flames. I then ran up the stairs and onto the second floor, where most the walls had burned down so the rooms were perfectly visible, not counting the flames. I didn't find any people there, so I jumped through a hole in the ceiling onto the third floor, where I only found a three Hairs, but they said that their daughter was somewhere on the floor. I brought them to the first floor and tossed them out, then flew back up to search for the missing little girl. Just as I saw her, the building began to shudder, and beams began to fall. I flew over to her and picked her up. She wasn't very old…maybe three or four. I ran back to the hole I came through and jumped down, sticking the landing and making a break for the door. But I realized I was too late as the door was blocked by beams of burning wood. I was about to break through it when suddenly the entire building buckled and began to fall. I moved as fast as I could…avoiding falling beams and concrete walls, but it wasn't enough. Eventually I was forced to use my Xing abilities to form a bubble around myself and the little hair. As more and more rubble fell atop us, the bubble became harder to sustain. But eventually the building was fully collapsed and I was able to drop the bubble, surrounded by a TP of wood and stone. Knowing we had to get free, I began charging my energy, forcing my hand above my head as I made sure I was aiming straight up.

"SOLAR FLASH!" I yelled as the same beam of energy shot up

Layer by layer the rubble was melted and blown away as I continued pushing up. After a few seconds I began to climb, making my way to the surface. The air was thin, making me feel light headed as I continued my physical exertions. It seemed like it would never end, but I eventually broke surface and my attack flew into the air as I was hit with something I could breathe. I climbed up into the light and was immediately aided by firemen, who took the little girl and helped me over to a truck, where my mask was removed and I was given a different one…a mask that fed me oxygen through a tank. As I breathed, I saw that the little girl had returned to her family and the people I saved were all in good health. I smiled at myself, feeling good about the fact that I saved so many people. I then decided to assess myself. I felt that blood was trickling down my face from a cut on my head. I also realized that somewhere in there my shirt had been ripped off, so I was now only wearing my pants and shoes. I then heard the voices of two familiar officers.

"Oh my god, Fisk! That was amazing!" Sam yelled as she and Tank ran over

"How'd you do that flashy light thing?" Tank asked

"Last minute use of a propane tank" I lied, removing my oxygen mask and standing up

"Well, after that move you're bound to get a metal. On you first day, too…" Tank said

"He didn't get a metal till his third year of service" Sam said, making me laugh

"Well, if lunch is still on you I think I'm in the mood for a Dairy Queen" I said, then remembered my cloths

"But first, let's swing by my place so I can grab a change of clothes" I added, making them laugh

"Ok, but this time I'm driving" Sam said

We then walked to the car after grabbing my belt along with my firearm and my club. I got in the passenger side seat after calling shotgun like a child and then directed her on where to go. I told them to wait in the car while I ran in and changed. I put on my green shirt with the surfer on the front and grabbed my wallet, which contained all my money. I then switched out my shoes since my running shoes were now melted and deformed. After that, I ran back out to the car and we drove off to the closest Dairy Queen in silence.

"So, what are we in the mood for?" Tank asked at he looked over the outside menu

"I just want a nice cold Root Beer Freeze" I said

"I'll take a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate!" Sam exclaimed

Tank laughed before walking up to the window to order.

"Man, it's hot out here. Summer is definitely upon us" she said

"Really? I didn't notice" I replied sarcastically as I walked over and sat at a table, soon followed by Sam

We sat in silence for a while as I just stared up into the sky, wondering which direction Beth went. The more I thought the more satisfied I was that I put that bastard away. I couldn't help but feel I was forgetting something, though. Did I leave the door unlocked? I didn't know, but the thought escaped me as the ice cream arrived. I took mine and began slurping it down faster than I normally would. I then felt the consequences as my head began to throb and my vision kinda blurred.

"BRAIN FREEZE!" I yelled out and fell to the floor clenching my head, making the other two break out into laughter which they made no attempt to stifle

When the pain subsided, I got back up into my seat, blushing underneath my fur. I then continued drinking, but slower this time.

"So Fisk, we've heard your story before, and heard that at first you didn't want to join the force, but then suddenly we get a call and you're here, making these amazing rescues…" Sam trailed off

"Yeah, she's got a point. If you had these skills, why'd you wait to use them?" Tank asked

Their questions caught me off guard, so I had to think before answering.

"I didn't want to join because I work better when I'm protecting people alone. But the girl Ricardo shot was a dear friend of mine. She was shot trying to prevent him from shooting me, which made it my fault. Her last words to me were a request to protect her family and friends, so I plan to do that by keeping the killers and dangerous people locked up" I replied, letting my gaze fall

They were silent as they averted their eyes, just eating their ice cream. This went on until we finished and went back to the car, where we discovered that the radio was blaring.

"Captain Thompson, come in! Ricardo Rodriquez has escaped custody and is on the run! We lost him after he ran down an alley on 5th Avenue, do you copy?" I heard, then grabbed the radio with my blood boiling

"I copy…keep your eyes open and keep searching. Make sure his daughter is still with you. If he comes to get her, put him down. Unless he surrenders, we put him down, over" I said, getting in the car, soon followed by Tank and Sam

"Copy that. All units in the search, remain alert, and keep guard on Stacy Rodriquez. If he resists we have orders to put him down" I heard

"5th Avenue…let's go" I commanded, and we drove off without argument

With sirens blaring, it took no time at all to get to the said location. The sun was now going down, and quickly at that. I could already see the first stars as we parked. I didn't even leave the car before I pulled my gun out and made sure it was loaded. I then exited the car and walked over to the officer in charge, gun in hand.

"Captain Thompson, thank god you're here. We found him, but he managed to subdue three of my men before escaping yet again" he said

"Where was he last spotted?" I asked, looking around

"Right where we're standing. He hasn't crossed our one-block perimeter, so he's still nearby" he replied

Just then, I heard a gun fire off, so to avoid anyone being shot I went to the ground and swept the legs of all those around me, making them fall to the ground. I did this just in time for a bullet to hit the wall behind us, giving me the direction he was in. when I looked, I spotted him hiding behind a building, gun in hand as he peaked around. I immediately took off in his direction, soon noticed by him as he shot multiple rounds in my direction, missing every time. The chase was on…

**Dun dun dun! Hope this makes up for the sadness of the last chapter. Bye bye**


	10. Criminal Syndicate

**I'm back! Hope you enjoyed chapter nine. Now to continue where the cliff hanger left off.**

Chapter 10

As I ran after him, he continued to fire at me. I was too quick, though. No matter how many times he fired, I kept jumping to the side to dodge. I didn't want to fire any rounds at him until I made sure he could see what he brought upon himself. I chased him through multiple alleyways while still inside the one-block perimeter they set up. He finally found himself out of Ammo, so he focused on running. He wasn't fast enough however, and I eventually forced him into a dead end, where he looked at me with nothing but fear as I approached slowly.

"Ok, I give up…you got me" he said in what seemed an attempt at still remaining alive

"Turn around and put your hands behind your back" I commanded while putting my gun away and taking out my hand cuffs

He complied and turned around, placing his hands together on the small of his back. I thought that he was honestly giving up, but I was sorely mistaken as I watched him twist around and grab my gun from my belt, aiming it at my torso. His attempt was unsuccessful, however, as I jumped over his head, grabbing the pistol from his and shooting him in the back. He fell dead to the ground, his death instantaneous. Just as he hit the ground, multiple troops ran around the corner.

"What happened?" one asked

"He pulled my own gun on me. I was forced to put him down" I said, stepping over his corpse and walking by the group of people

"Get a clean u crew down here. Put his daughter in a foster home until further notice" I said, not even looking at them

"Yes sir" a voice replied

I walked through the many alleys, retracing my steps as I made my way back to the cars. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Tank and Sam, plus the former commanding officer.

"What happened? Did he get away?" the officer asked

"No…he resisted so I put him down" I replied, walking by them and to the car

"Sam, if you don't mind driving me home, I'd like to get some rest. One arrest, a burning building, and a death can wear a guy down" I requested, getting in the passenger seat

"Yeah, sure" she replied, jogging over and getting in the driver's seat

I didn't pay attention to how long the drive took to get home. I was too busy thinking about the feeling I had that I was forgetting something. The car turning off was my only indication that we had arrived at the apartment.

"You doing ok? You've been silent all this time, and having to put someone down isn't exactly easy on the mind" Sam asked

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just can't shake the feeling that 've forgotten something really important" I replied, unbuckling my seat belt and stepping out of the car

"I'll see you in the morning" I said, then shut the door and went inside the apartment

I didn't even look around before going into Beth's old room, now my room. I took off my shirt and tossed it in the laundry basket, then let gravity pull me as I fell onto the bed. I didn't wrap myself in the covers, as it was a hot night. All I could do was sit there as I drifted into a dreamless sleep, contempt with the job I'd done today. I woke up to the sound of Beth's alarm going off at 5:00 AM. I got up and shook the sleepiness from my head before walking out into the hall and into the bathroom. After doing the normal business, I walked out and grabbed a towel from the closet, and then walked back in. I turned on the shower and gave it time to warm up by taking my time in stripping from my pants and boxers. When I was bare, I stepped into the shower, closing the curtain behind me. After I had cleaned myself, I got out and used the towel to dry off my fur, then wiped down the water on the floor. I then grabbed a couple Q-Tips and cleaned my ears out, throwing them in the bathroom trash can when I was done. After that, I walked back into my room and tossed the towel in the hamper. After that I heard my radio start to make noises.

"_Captain Curtis, we've got a robbery on Thirty Ninth Street, please move in, over" _a voice said

Not for me, so I kept on my morning schedule. I put on a plain grey sleeveless shirt, followed by a clean pair of boxers, a pair of socks, my pants, and my B-Ball shoes. I then put on my belt that held my gun and club, along with my bullet-proof vest. No sooner were they on than I heard a knock on the door. I walked over and opened it to find Tank.

"Thought you might need a ride. I'll sweep us through McDonalds before we get to the station" he said

"Thanks…just let me grab my keys" I replied, jogging down the hall and into my room, grabbing my keys off the night stand before returning to the door

"Let's go" I said

We walked out the door and out to the car, me getting in the passenger side while he drove us to the said fast food restaurant.

"I'll have an Egg McMuffin and a large coke" I said

"Alright, one Egg McMuffin with a large coke and…a number three with a sweet tea" Tank said into the big clown head

"Alright sir, your total comes up to $5.37. Thank you for choosing McDonalds" the head replied, then we pulled up to a window

Tank paid for the food and grabbed the bags before driving off towards the station. I finished all my food half way there, whereas Tank couldn't eat while driving, so he was forced to wait until we arrived to eat. While he sat at his desk eating his food and looking over some papers, I went to the firing range to practice. I was soon joined by Sam, who was clearly much better. I emptied a full clip and never hit center target, while she fired off three clips and hit center on every shot.

"You're new to using guns, but you'll get better" she said, taking off her head phones and walking out

"Yeah sure" I replied, laughing at myself as I fired off a few more rounds before leaving the range. I then heard the radio on my shoulder

"_Captain Thompson, we've got a stolen vehicle headed east on Broadway. Interception required" _I heard

I immediately put my gun away and ran out to the car. Broadway wasn't far, just a block away. I decided to run instead of drive, since I had no clue how to drive anyway. I ran into the street and could clearly see the speeding Mustang Convertible under the pursuit of two police cars. I knew it was heading in my direction, so I stood in the middle of the road, gun in hand and aimed at the wind shield. When they were close enough, I shot the front window and watched it turn white with cracks. I then dove for the sidewalk as the sped past me, swerving until the finally were flipped by a fire hydrant. Once on my feet, I walked over and opened the door to the flipped car, only to find that the driver and his possible companions were already gone, but they weren't far. I could see them running away through the other open door. I put my gun away and took off after them, quickly catching up. When I was close enough, I leapt into the air and kicked them both to the ground.

"NYPD, put your hands behind your back!" I commanded, and the quickly complied

I was then met by two other officers who cuffed their wrists and pulled them back to a police car. After I was sure they were contained, I jogged the blocks distance back to the station, where I was met with a pleasant surprise. I found myself face to face with the Chief of Police, holding in his hand a dazzling silver medal. Sam was standing nearby with a look of happiness on her face, while Tank didn't stand as close and he didn't look as happy.

"Fisk Thompson, you've only been on the force for a day, and yet you've caught a murderer, put down an assaulter of police, and saved many lives from a burning building without a single thought of yourself living through it. This is why we've all elected to give you this honorary medal of selflessness" he said, clipping the silver medal to the front pocket on my vest

"I'm honored, Chief…but it was my first day, do I really deserve this?" I asked, truly unsure

"In all my years on the force, I never saved so many lives. You did it in one day. There is no doubt in my mind that you deserve this medal for having the heart of a hero" he replied

I was speechless from there to the next five minutes. It wasn't until I heard a radio start blaring random words that I was taken from my trance.

"This is quite the 24/7 job, isn't it?" I said, earning laughter from everyone in the room as I walked over to the radio to listen

"_I repeat: all units to 5__th__ Avenue, we have an armored truck robbery, and they are armed! We're in a big firefight and they've got us out gunned!" _I heard, followed by shuffling around behind me and the sound of guns being loaded

I walked over and grabbed one of the big guns from the rack. I grabbed a Semi-Automatic Assault Rifle and a pack of bullets. I loaded a magazine and put it in the gun, then loaded a few extra magazines in case they were needed, then loaded my side arm. When I was ready, I ran out to the car with Sam and Tank right behind me. I jumped in the back this time so Tank could have his turn in front while Sam once again drove. They weren't lying about themselves being outgunned. The robbers were packing full auto assault rifles and semi auto shot guns. They also had one non-automatic rifle for distance shooting. As we drove on the scene, we were instantly being hit with rounds from the rifle. Sam quickly swerved us into the line of other police cars, soon followed by the rest of the police cars behind us. I grabbed my gun and jumped out, immediately opening fire on the nearest foe. I soon realized that they had the better position with more cover. Every time I shot, the person would duck behind the armored truck. I needed a better angle, but there was no way to get closer without being shot. As I continued firing, I noticed that there was an alley right next to them on the left.

"Tank, cover me! I'm gonna get a closer shot!" I yelled as I started running to the left outside the line of fire

As I ran, I could see bullets hitting everywhere around me. As I was about to reach my destination behind the building so I could make my way around the building and into the alley, I felt a bullet pierce my skin and enter my right arm. I ignored the pain, though, and kept going. As I walked around what I identified as a business building, I could only hear the gunfire. I began sprinting as fast as I could, my arm slowing me down. I finally reached the alley, and as I looked through, I could clearly see the robbers firing at the officers. I then ran down the alley, heart racing and gun aimed at the nearest enemy. I was still unseen as I reached the end of the alley, kneeling to the ground as I put my eye up to the scope to aim better. As I took my first shot at the body of the closest thug, who then fell, my position was given away. I had to quickly shoot the rest down as they opened fire on me, but I was in luck since my aim was slightly better. I shot down the next two, leaving only the rifle holder who hid himself inside the truck. The firing had all seized as there was no longer anything to fire at. I watched as the army of police ran up and surrounded the truck, leaving me to sit there and stop fighting the pain in my upper right arm. The pain was a mixture of aching and sharp, making it very unpleasant to experience. I still managed to watch as the man was dragged from the truck in hand cuffs and into a police car, then driven away.

"Fisk!" I heard from behind me

When I turned around, I saw a familiar black and tan cat peaking around the corner from the other end of the alley.

"Mag, what are you doing here?!" I asked, standing up and jagging over to her, my right arm tucked into my vest so it didn't hurt so much

"Watching the excitement!" she replied, meeting me half way in the alley

"Well you should get out of here. It's way too dangerous" I said

"WAS too dangerous…but you just took care of the danger!" she exclaimed, wrapping me in a light hug

"Captain Thompson…that was a brave move" I heard behind me

I turned around and saw an unknown female hair in a police outfit.

"Just thinking on my feet. Did we lose anyone?" I asked, hopeful that I acted in time

"Sadly yes. We lost McBride from Captain Reynolds's division" she replied, letting her ears fall low at the sides of her head

I sighed, trying my best to remain with my mind set on the current situation. We had four criminal corpses on the street, bullets and bullet holes everywhere, and a badly damaged armored truck.

"Order a clean-up crew. Get me files on all the deceased criminals and interrogate the one we arrested. This was too big a robbery with too big of guns. There's a bigger picture behind this" I ordered

"Yes sir" she said, running back down the alley and out of sight

I turned around and saw that Mag had a weird look on her face, as if trying to figure out something.

"What's up with you?" I asked

"Couple things: first, how did you become captain? You just started" she asked

"Not a clue…it's just where I started" I replied

"Okay…and second, that chick was flirting with you" she said, putting a smirk on her face

"What? No way…she was just giving me some info and taking orders" I replied

"Don't tell me you didn't see her batting her eyes as she told you how brave you were, and how cute she tried to look when she told you about losing an officer" she said, putting her hands on her hips

I thought about it and realized that she was right. The officer had done all the things she said, I just didn't take it to mind.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So what?" I asked

"So, you should ask her out!" she exclaimed

I thought about those few words for what seemed like forever while we stood there in silence. Should I…I mean, I didn't with Beth because there was something stopping me, but I can't remember what it was. Guess I just wasn't looking for a companion at the time, but now it might be ok.

"I'll think about it…but this is a hard line of work. Might be complicated" I finally said

"This is New York, everything is either complicated or in the mad house" she replied, making me laugh

"Yeah, true. I guess I will later, but you better not be pulling my chain on this one. I know where you live" I joked

"Whatever, and no you don't. I've gotta go, I'm running late for my date with Roy. See you later, Fisk" she replied as she turned around and began walking away, waving to me as she gained distance

I did the same as I walked back to where all the police cars were, where I found Sam and Tank waiting for me.

"Took you long enough. Let's get you to the hospital to get that arm fixed up. You never fail to impress" Tank said, getting in the back seat

Sam was already in the driver's seat listening to the radio. She quickly changed the station as Tank opened the back door to get in. I only heard the word "Worldwide" from a young male singer before the channel changed to country music.

"Why you hiding the music you listen to?" I asked as I sat down in the front seat, carefully putting on my seat belt as to not further hurt my arm

"I'm not…" she replied as I closed the door

"I saw you change the station. Who were you listening to before?" I asked

"No one" she replied

"She's trying to hide the fact that she listens to Big Time Rush" Tank said from the back

"Shut up!" She yelled

"Who's that?" I asked

"A popular boy band that all young girls seem to be crazy about…like One Direction only younger" Tank answered

"Well, turn it back. Now I'm curious" I said

Sam reluctantly changed the station back to what was apparently a playlist on her phone. I soon learned that the song was Worldwide, and it wasn't all that good. Wasn't bad, but really not too good either.

"Its okay" I lied

"Really?" she asked

"Yeah. Don't know why you were afraid" I lied again

I then heard Tank start cracking up in the back seat. I could see Sam blushing through her fur as she turned into Times Square to get back to the Hospital. To shut him up, I leaned my seat back to where it was crushing his legs. I kept in this position until he shut up, making Sam laugh. After we got the bullet out of my arm and got me stitched up, we returned to the station. It was no sooner that we parked than I was met by a familiar white hair. I got out of the car and was handed a report with the pictured of all the people who had something to do with the robbery.

"I did as you said and ran the files on all those people. Turns out, we might be on to something of an underground criminal syndicate" she said, batting her eyes at me

"_Wow, Mag really was right_" I thought to myself

"Thanks, why don't we meet up and discuss this over some drinks" I suggested, trying to be smooth

"Are you asking me out, captain?" she asked

"Are you refusing? Cuz I could just give this to the detective and-" I was interrupted

"NO! It's just, you've surprised me again, Captain Thompson" she said

"At this point, call me Fisk. Unless we're on a case, you don't have to call me Captain" I replied

"Alright, Fisk. But do you even know my name?" she asked, clearly testing me

I quickly glanced at the badge on her chest and looked back up before she noticed.

"Let's see…was it Trina Martinez?" I asked jokingly

"Alright, but I'll be watching you, Fisk Thompson. Meet me at the bar at Seven when our shifts are over" she said, turning around and walking towards the entrance of the station, flashing me a smile before she walked in

I then turned around and saw that Tank and Sam were still watching. Their mouth hung agape, and I laughed at the sight.

"Man, you must have practiced that a million times last night" Tank said

"Actually no, I just improvised" I replied, making Tank's mouth once again fall open

"Man, Asian dude got some moves" Sam said, trying to sound like a gangster

"When you got it, you got it" I replied, mimicking the accent

We all laughed as we walked into the station. As we walked in, we all went to our respective desks. I only walked by mine as I went into the detective's office.

"What can I do you for, captain?" he asked

"We might have a big problem. We have a lead that says there might be criminal union beneath the police radar. I need this case run through by our finest, otherwise New York might end up being a rotten apple" I said, tossing him the report

"Second day and already saving the city? You've got quite the skill. I'll take this and look it over, and I'll give you the result in a few hours" he replied as he grabbed the report from where it had landed on the top of his desk

"Thanks" I said as I walked out of the office

The day was quiet for the next few hours. I sat at my desk, playing with my tail as I waited for something to happen. Everyone else wasn't doing much else. Some other people were playing cards as they waited. Nobody even walked in to report a stolen vehicle. I was beginning to get extremely bored until Trina walked over to my desk and sat on top of it.

"I see you find your tail quite interesting" she said, making herself laugh

"Well there's just so much fur, all I can do is stare" I replied, laughing along

"Kind of a boring day" she said

"Yeah. I just hope it stays that way when the detectives give me some info on that lead we have. I really hope we're wrong" I replied

"Yeah really" she said

As if on cue to my words, the detective ran from his office screaming for everyone to get out of the building.

"Run! They set a bomb!" he yelled

Wanting to clarify, but not wanting to risk anyone being hurt, I went with it and told everyone to clear out. Once we were outside the building and away from danger, I ran over to him and asked what was going on.

"I connected that lead to the recent spike in crime. The points in the city form a circle around the police station, slowly getting closer and closer. There have been robberies at stores that sell guns, small explosives, and some other items like packs of nails and screws. I don't know where, but I'm certain that the last robbery was a diversion to get us out of the station. There's a bomb somewhere in there, I know it" he explained

My heart stopped as I listened to him. I told him to get ahold of whoever was meant to deal with these situations. I made sure that everyone was clear as a big SWAT truck arrived on the scene. I watched as someone in a big suit meant to withstand some explosions walked into the station holding a tool box. The other captains and I were the ones closest to the building, watching everything that happened and making sure that nobody got near the building. It was another hour later that the guy walked out holding a big box with bogs full of nails attached to the side.

"Bomb disabled!" he yelled, making everyone break out in applause

My heart finally started beating again, until I heard a light electronic beep. Suddenly, the box exploded.

**You guys probably hate me for this cliffhanger. Only makes you guys that much more excited for the next chapter. Review please**


	11. Sam the Betrayer

**I'm back. BTW, I use reviews as an indication that the most recent chapter has been read, and I can start the next chapter. So please, if you read, leave a review. Thank you! And I had someone ask when he'd be going back to china because it didn't seem like a Kung Fu Panda FanFic anymore, but I assure you, it is. Just go with it, Jubs!**

Chapter 11

I quickly dove for the nearest people, dragging them down with me as I dove behind cover. I closed my eyes as the explosion rocked the ground, and nails were shot everywhere. I was glad I dove behind a concrete slab used to make sure no cars drove into unwanted areas. When the explosion was over, I still didn't open my eyes. I was dreading what I'd see. But I had no choice but to look as I had to make sure anyone injured but alive would be treated for their injuries. As I stood up, I was terrified at the sight. Anyone who was close and not behind cover was dead. Most of the other captains, Chief Baxter, and multiple officers, all dead. Either killed by the explosion or the projectiles it sent out. There were more alive than dead, but there were still many now dead. Even the one in the protective suit was dead, being impaled by the many sharp objects. I scanned the ground for any of my people, namely Tank, Sam or Trina. I didn't see them, but I still wasn't convinced. I ran out into the parking lot that was littered with bodies, searching for them. I then saw Trina and Sam running up to me, finally managing to break through the crowd.

"Fisk, have you seen Tank? We couldn't find him" Sam said

"No, I haven't. Search the bodies for anyone still breathing. Captain Ron, call for an ambulance!" I commanded, continuing my search

I scanned the nearby bodies closer to see if they were alive. I found none. I then heard a sound I dreaded I would here. A gasp coming from the mouth of Sam. I ran over to her and saw what she was looking at. The body of someone I dreaded seeing on this ground: Tank.

"Fisk, he's still breathing!" she said

"Get a medic over here!" I screamed

I kneeled down beside him, seeing as he was unconscious and actually didn't look too badly mangled from the waste up. I waited there beside him, just watching him sit there and breathe as I waited for the ambulance. It wasn't much longer until it arrived, soon after being the arrival of two medics with one of those rolling beds. Tank was loaded into the ambulance, followed by Sam and I who wanted to stay with him.

"Keep searching for survivors" I told Trina before they closed the door and drove off

The drive took little time, but in the suspense it seemed to take forever. I watched as they hooked Tank up to a machine which beeped every time his heartbeat. The beeps were fast…barely a fourth of a second in between each beat.

"He's going into shock!" a man said as he began putting some liquid into a syringe

I wanted to help to tank, but I was too busy holding Sam as she cried into my shoulder. I made sure she couldn't see what they were doing, mainly because it was making the now conscious Tank scream in pain. They were cleaning the wounds on his legs with alcohol, along with Peroxide, making it an altogether unpleasant experience for Tank. I wished there was something I could do, and I felt like there was. I searched my memories for something I'd done before, but I found nothing. As far as I knew, there wasn't anything I could do…but I still felt like I was missing something. As we finally arrived at the hospital, Tank was carted off to an unknown room while we were brought to a waiting room. This scenario was all too familiar. The racing of my heart…the unstoppable pacing I did across the waiting room floor as I waited. The worry and helplessness I felt…it was all the same things I'd felt and done when Beth was shot.

"Not again…please" I thought as I paced, listening to the crying of Sam

After an hour of this same process, a nurse finally came out and asked me if she could speak to me in private. I agreed and followed her to an office where she shut the door and had me sit down.

"We removed a large amount of shrapnel from his legs, and cleaned him up very nicely. He'll live through the ordeal" She said, making me sigh in relief

"Why'd you pull me off like this, then? That's great news!" I asked

"Well, the news isn't all good. The damage to his legs was too great, and a piece of shrapnel lodged itself in the lower portion of his spinal cord, severing part of his vertebrae. I'm afraid he'll never have use of his legs again. We removed the shrapnel, but the damage cannot be repaired" she said

My heart sank. This news was still better than him dying, but it made me sick to my stomach. He'll never walk again?

"Does he know?" I asked

"No. we thought it best that one of his friends let him know. And I thought it be better that if the other one tells him, then you'd better tell her" she replied

I didn't quite understand that logic, but I nodded. We then stood up and she led me back out to the waiting room. I walked over to Sam, who looked at me hopefully. I walked over and sat next to her.

"So?" she asked

"So, I've got good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" I asked

"Don't do that. Just tell me of his condition" she replied

"Alright. He's going to live, but his spine was damaged in the explosion and due to that, he'll never walk again. It'd take a miracle" I said, then clenched my eyes and waited for her reaction. All I heard was her breathing

"Ok, I'll tell him" she said, then stood up and walked over to the nurse, who led her down the hall and out of sight

I sat there in a silence so deep I couldn't even think. Nothing disturbed it, save for my quiet breathing. I just waited, and waited, and waited some more I the never ending silence, until I finally heard the sound of footsteps coming from the hall Sam and the nurse had gone down. I held my breath until Sam finally emerged. She walked over and sat down next to me.

"He uh…took it well. Or at least better then what I would've expected" she said

I didn't reply. I sat there as we just looked at each other. Her expression was blank, and her posture was emotionless. At first I thought something in there had changed her, until her posture was broken. She burst into tears and fell onto my chest, bawling so much that the fur underneath my shirt was soaked. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight to me as my own tears fell silently from my eyes. What I was feeling was pure helplessness. There was so much happening, so much going on around me that I had no control of. I had nothing left in me but anger and sadness, but at the moment only my sadness showed. We stayed like that for a while until the nurse cleared her throat.

"We've sedated him, and he's sleeping well. He'll be able to go home in a month, but on certain grounds only" she said

"What grounds?" I asked

"Does he live with anyone? Friends, family, anyone at all?" she asked

"No, he's lived alone for years" Sam replied, wiping her eyes and sniffling

"Then unless that is rectified, he'll have to stay here. We can have a half paralyzed cop living alone. It isn't safe for his life" She said

"He can't spend the rest of his life in a hospital…what if I moved in with him?" Sam asked

"Then he'd be able to go home. Protection from another cop will give him the proper safety" the nurse replied

"I will as well. I'd like to ensure his safety and I think I've lived alone long enough" I interjected, making Sam smile at me and mouth her thanks

"Alright, when he wakes one of you can let him know" the nurse replied, smiling

"I've got to go back to what's left of the station and start looking for the criminals responsible for this. I'll make them pay" I said, standing up and hugging Sam goodbye

I then walked off, going directly out to the elevators and to the first floor. When I exited the building, I felt my mind aching. I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was forgetting something major, but I just couldn't remember what. I decided that there were more pressing matters at hand. Since my ride was occupied, I began to jog, maneuvering through crowds and traffic to Times Square, where the crowd was larger than usual. People with guitars, martial arts items, boom boxes, and all sorts of stuff. I then saw a flyer as I jogged by which read: Time's Square Talent Show, two months away. Practice every day here at 3:00! I then remembered the talent show Beth and I were going to compete in, and the though depressed and confused me. Should I still compete, or should I not out of respect for Beth? Would not competing be what she would've wanted? I shook the thoughts from my head and continued my jog, but sped to a sprint until I reached the rubble that used to be the police station.

"Fisk!" I heard behind me

I turned to see a Trina, who looked like she'd just seen a ghost.

"Any more survivors?" I asked

"No…Tank was the only one caught in the explosion who will walk away" she said, her ears falling down

"Not exactly…his legs and spine were damaged too greatly and as a result he'll never walk again. I hate to say it but we need to prepare for his honorable discharge" I replied, then looked around. All the bodies were cleaned up, taken somewhere unknown to me. "How many lost?" I asked. My question was followed by nearly a full minute of silence

"Sixty two"

As soon as I heard the number, my heart stopped. I felt my knees give out as I fell upon them, also feeling my anger, sadness, and pain bubble up inside me, filling my lungs with what seemed like pure negative emotion. I felt that if I kept the air in my lungs then in would do something bad to me, so I leaned forward, looking down with my knuckles to the ground and opened my mouth. What came out was a scream so fierce, so loud, and so full of anger that I myself was terrified. My lungs took what seemed like a lifetime to empty. The anger-filled bellow went on and on, endlessly filling the space around me with the horrifying noise. Eventually my lungs emptied, forcing the scream to stop and me to take in a lung full of fresh air. After I took that breath, I began to sob. All I could think about was the families of these people. How drastically would this affect them? If it wasn't for the douchebags that did this! Upon thinking that, my tears stopped. My sadness turned to anger. I quickly stood up and turned to look at Trina, who jumped back in fear.

"Trina, I need you to take the place of our main investigator. Get every detective we have left working on this crime scene. One thing I noticed just before the bomb went off was that the locks on the door were still intact. Whoever planted that bomb had a key" I commanded

"Do you mean someone inside the police force is a trader?" she asked

"I'm saying whoever planted that bomb had access to one of our officer's keys, and had some motive. Check all security camera's in the area that could see the station. Who's taking over the Chiefs position?" I asked

She was silent for a moment, taking in the given information before speaking.

"Every alternative Chief we had in line was killed. The next thing person to choose would be our top Captain, and right now that's you" she replied

"Then Officer Kale takes over my position. Sam is a fine officer and won't let us down. Now go do as I've told you. I'm gonna check our security cams for something" I commanded, then walked off towards the cameras we have set up outside the building

In my mind I was wondering if the bomber was as smart as he seemed so far. And just as I thought, the cameras were disconnected. The cables were unplugged and the cameras were turned off. I grabbed ahold of the cable, trying to find a flaw. A cut point or some kind of clue that said it wasn't actually one of our own. But as I feared, it was unlocked by a key and taken out of its socket. I cursed in anger, tossing the wire aside and into the wall. It then swung from its connection to the wall.

"Chief, all cameras that had a view of the station had their cables either disconnected or cut" I heard Trina behind me

"What could possibly be their motive? They can't just not want the police around…that's too simple. There has to be a certain person they're after. But with all the people dead, do you think they're still coming?" I asked, not expecting any real reply

"I don't know. Do you have any enemies, sir?" she asked in reply

"What?" I asked, turning around to face her

"Do you have any enemies?" she asked again

I thought about the question. Somewhere in my gut, I knew I had a powerful enemy, but the idea seemed out of an action cartoon. I couldn't remember what my enemies or who my enemies were, other than the man who killed Beth, but I put him down.

"Not that I can remember" I replied

"Well, if they were after one of the lower officers, they'd just send a hit man. But they bombed the building…they must be after someone hard to kill and important. Who?" she asked, looking at the ground with a puzzled expression on her face

"They may have been after the previous chief, and he's dead now. If he was who they were after, then they got the job done" I stated, my expression turning angry

She didn't reply. She only wrapped her arms around me in a hug. I was about to hug her back when I heard some voices around the corner, and I could clearly make out what they were saying.

"You idiot! You set the bomb off too soon!" I heard a deep voice

"I'm sorry! The plan went wrong when they evacuated the station!" I heard a female voice

"We prepared you for all things that could go wrong. You know his stats, his out of country origin, and his connection. He's gonna be hard to take out, but all the other people who can stand in my way are dead. You take out his Asian ass or I'll let my waiting men have their way with you before I kill you myself. And they can get nasty. And I'll be sure you're friend meet's his suffering demise" the deep voice said, followed by skidding tires

"They are after you" Trina whispered

"Walk around like you're just going by, get a look at the face, and get in your car. Drive around the block and wait five minutes. I'll find a safe spot and when the time is up, tell me who it is over the radio, and make sure you're on my secret frequency. Go now" I ordered

She nodded and walked in the direction of her car, glancing back and shooting a smile and waving at the person around the corner. She then got in her car and drove off. When she turned the corner, I walked off toward the place across the street, claiming I had to use the restroom. When I entered the ivory tile room, I entered the far stall and flipped my radio to the correct channel. After a few minutes, I heard some static followed by a familiar voice saying a name that hurt to hear so bad, I nearly slammed through the wall.

"It's Sam Kale"

**Sorry it took me so long to update. Been sick for a while. Enjoy this chapter. Things are escalating! Bet you didn't expect this, did you? Review please!**


	12. The Phantom's Return

**I'm back. I've recently took to playing MineCraft, so if any of my readers also do, I'd appreciate a friend request or however it works on the game. Also, I'm on the server quite a lot, mainly playing Survival Games, Skywars, and Hide and Seek. It's quite fun, and if you happen to go on and see the name Skynight1998, then you see me. I'm usually on server 7, so if you see me, don't hesitate to say hello. Now read on!**

Chapter 12

"It's Sam Kale"

I almost collapsed. Hearing that name in place as a criminal/cop nearly knocked me off my feet. I hadn't the faintest idea what to think, or feel, or do. I knew who the mole in our station was…I just had no idea what to do about it. Sam is one of my most trusted officers, right beside Tank, and I was ready to offer her a position as captain as I was taking over as chief, only to learn this.

"Are you sure?" I asked, hoping my ears were deceiving me

"Yes…Sam Kale is in cahoots with the Criminal Syndicate" she replied, using a word that seemed straight out of a teen comedy show

I now at second hearing felt something so intense…so insanely terrifying that it caused me to begin laughing. I was feeling a furry so horrible that I couldn't even show it. Instead, my overloaded brain was making me laugh. I then thought about Tank. Sam…a criminal…was about to move in with my half paralyzed friend. I needed to act, and I needed to act fast.

"Call Sam and tell her to meet me at the old abandoned mill. Tell her I think I have a lead and need her at my side" I said into my radio

"But she'll kill you!" came a reply

"She'll certainly try. Do as I tell you" I commanded

"Yes sir. Should I send reinforcements?" she asked

"No. I'll have to do this myself" I said

There was no reply. I decided to just go to the said location on foot. At full sprint, it took me no time at all. It was far, but traffic was so bad I could just sprint though the streets, legal or not. The sun was now starting to go down, making the old mill seem like a scene from Paranormal Activity. I waited in the center of the mill for Sam to arrive. My guard was up, ready for her to pull any trick she could. With my back turned, it appeared like I was unaware of her approach from behind. I could feel her presence, though. I only gave the hint that I knew she was there when I heard a mechanical click unique to her Colt Revolver.

"And what do you plan to do with that?" I asked, turning around

She quickly put away her gun before I saw it, but it was pointless. I already knew.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, trying to seem casual as she walked forward

"Don't give me that crap. I know about you, Sam" I said, menace in my voice

"I don't know what you're talking about-"

"I know about your little allegiance to the Syndicate, your failed attempt to kill me with the bomb which killed 63 of our INNOCENT officers! I know how you've been set up to kill me, the Asian MMA fighter, and new chief. Not to mention how you were responsible for the paralyses of your best friend! Now why don't we just be honest with each other, huh? I've got no lead; I'm just here to catch you. And you aren't here for the lead, you are here to finish the job" I yelled, stopping her in her tracks

"Please, Fisk. Don't make this hard" she said, once again taking her gun in hand

"Make what hard? Being responsible for one more death atop sixty three others? Or being responsible for the death of your friend, commanding officer, and the one who trusted you with his life?" I asked, making her falter, and her lip quiver

"Please" she pleaded again, taking aim and pulling back the hatch

"Go ahead, just do it. Just know what you're doing" I said, then turned around and closed my eyes

I waited, each moment feeling like a lifetime waiting for the shot to be taken. I jumped when I heard a crash, followed by intense sobbing. I turned around to see that Sam was on the ground sobbing, her revolver on the ground multiple yards away. When I deemed it safe, I pulled my hand cuffs off my belt and walked over, binding her hands behind her back.

"You're under arrest for the murder of 63 police officers, and an attempt on the life of the Chief of police. I'm sorry, Sam" I said, picking her up off the ground and walking her back to her own car.

I took her keys away and put her in the back seat, closing the door behind her. I then switched my radio back to the normal frequency and held down the button.

"Captain Roland, I require a transport. Send it with two officers, over" I said, then waited for a reply

"Copy that. Can I have your location, sir?" he asked

"The old saw mill outside the city. Make sure you can trust these officers, we've had a betrayal inside the department and I don't know if there are more. Over and out" I said, then let go of the button

I waited a few minutes in silence before I heard my name being called from inside the car.

"What do you want?" I asked

"I'm sorry for doing what I did. Please let me explain" she pleaded

"Not interested" I said

"They have my husband!" she yelled, grabbing my attention

"What?" I asked, looking in the window

"My husband, Eric…they've had him for years, keeping him barely alive. They use him as blackmail to make me do their dirty work" she replied

"Who's they?" I asked

"They call themselves The Nest. The one in charge of it all is someone they call The Rat. His real name is Jonathan Nelson, and he has an army of criminal's equivalent to a quarter of the population of New York! They think that the NYPD restrict too much, and that they should be taken out. I was told to kill you since your reputation says you're hard to kill" she finished

"Give me a location and I'll guarantee the court is merciful" I said

"They disguise themselves as-LOOK OUT!" she yelled

I turned around to see a large man running at me with an axe. I dove to the side just before the axe made contact with my skull, making it instead it the hood of the car.

"BLACKSTONE-" Sam was cut off as the car exploded, taking the man in the flames

I myself was sent flying, luckily untouched by any shrapnel or flames. I landed on my back, but was immediately looking back at the car.

"SAM NO!" I screamed

I felt my soul once again burn with anger, and felt some strange sensation building up in my core. It died, however, when I heard the sirens of approaching police cars. As if out of a tragedy movie, warm summer rain began to fall from the night sky. My cloths and fur were quickly soaked.

"Fisk! Are you alright?" Trina asked as she jumped from a car and ran to my side

"Sam wasn't a betrayer. She had no choice…they have her husband. She was telling me everything when some dude came out with an axe and hit the hood. The blow caused the car to explode" I said, my voice low as I knelt there on my knees

"I'm so sorry. Did you get any useful information?" she asked

"Get the S.W.A.T. and get them ready. We're about to face off against an army of criminals large enough to equal one fourth the population of New York. We're going against what's called "The Nest" led by the head Rat, Jonathan Nelson. They disguise themselves as some company called Blackstone. We hit them as soon as possible" I said, then stood up and walked over to Captain Roland

"Captain, make sure we have every officer we've got on this case. Order everyone to head home and gather all the ammo and guns they've got. We're gonna need it. I'll also head home and look around for anything useful. Trina will fill you in on the details. Pick me up at my house in thirty" I said as I reached him

"Yes sir. Will you require a transport?" he asked

"Yes please" I replied

"Walker, give the Chief a lift to his apartment. Then go home and gather all weapons and ammo you've got!" Roland yelled, making his head officer run over and silently lead me to his car

When I got in the passenger side, I gave him the address and he still silently drove me home. When I exited the car, he didn't even say goodbye. He just drove off. I shrugged it off and went inside to begin my search for the correct supplies to avenge my friends and fallen officers. I first searched the main bedroom closet, but only found towels and cloths. I next searched the bathroom. Nothing. I searched all around the house, but found only my own spare ammo for my side arm. The only place left to check was Beth's old storage closet, but as far as I could remember, I hadn't been in there. I decided to have a quick look. I reached out and grabbed the handles to the ivory doors, pulling the open quickly. I found that it was mostly full of holiday decorations and costumes. There was a high shelf that I could barely reach full of large boxes. They were large enough to fit me in if I balled myself up.

I reached up and pulled down the first box. It only contained more Christmas ornaments. Next box. I pulled down another smaller box and found Halloween props such as rubber swords and make-up. I then pulled down a heavier box which contained books and photo albums. There was only one box left now, and it was a more elongated shape. I pulled it down and discovered it was very light, and I could feel the contents in it shifting. It was nearly empty. I walked over to the kitchen table and placed it down, using my claws to cut through the tape. When I opened it, I was surprised at what I found. A black and gold bow which looked to be made of steel, but felt light in my hand. I also found what felt like silk pants and a silk vest, but seemed too small to fit me. Next I pulled out a small leather pack, completely empty. I then pulled out two sandals, once again too small to fit me or Beth for that matter. The last things in the box were random pieces of paper with Chinese symbol on them, and one with a Chinese letter and some other weird symbol on it. I was about to toss the box aside when I heard another piece of paper slide around. I placed the box back down on the table and looked. It was a picture, a painting, of what looked like a younger version of me, wearing silk pants and no shirt, next to a wolf that wore an orange vest and had her hair put in a black braid behind its head.

I reached out to pick up the picture, but upon contact, my vision went into what seemed like a dream and my head began to ache. I saw visions of myself in a Chinese orphanage, playing with a bunny that I somehow recognized as my sister, Lucy. The vision then changed to me training in a palace with two tigers, three wolves, a panda, a smaller red panda, and four other animals that I couldn't clearly see. All my memories were coming back. Lucy, Sky, Shifu, Collin, Syrina, Po, Tigress, Monkey, Viper, Mantis, Crane, and Niki. I remembered the entire reason I came to America, and why I needed to get back. I remembered how I planned to arrive singing a song and playing my guitar, and how I felt about Niki. I remembered my Xing abilities and training, and the way I felt about Niki. Did I say that already? I knew I had to get home, and soon. I picked up the paper with the message and Xing memory symbol on it and placed it on the table in front of me. I then grabbed my bow and aimed it at the paper, pulling back the string and charging up Xing energy to the best of my ability since I was quite rusty. When I released the string, I was engulfed in darkness.

"Look, the Ladies of the Shade are performing!" I heard from a familiar child's voice

I could see myself with Lucy on my back being dragged through town by a young wolf named Niki. Then the vision changed to saving Lucy from the croc in the orphanage, then using my Xing powers for the first time. Then to Sky healing her lungs, and then my first fight with Tigress, followed by my honorable submission. Then everything went dark again, and I could see the faces of Sky, Niki, Po, Shifu, The Furious Five, Collin, Syrina, Song, Su, Won Yu, Wan, Wing, all my friends from back home…even my enemies. But then the darkness returned. But this was a different darkness. One much different from the warmer darkness that signaled a new memory. This one was cold and uninviting.

"The prophecy was wrong…" I heard from a voice pure evil, followed by a lingering echo

"I am not defeated. I will return and this time…" the voice continued, and then paused

It was silent for a while, but then a face all too familiar appeared in front of me, but very large. "The darkness will overcome the light. I will wipe out the Xing!" the face yelled, and then I watched as he opened his mouth and revealed an even darker darkness within. This darkness also engulfed me, but then I was suddenly back in my apartment. I was lying on the ground, bow still in hand, and I could hear Trina's voice calling my name as she shook my body back and forth.

"Fisk…wake up!" she yelled, worry in her voice

"What happened?" I asked, trying to play it off as I passed out

"I came to pick you up and take you to Black Stone for the mission, but you were passed out on the floor with this weird bow in your hand" she replied, plucking the black and gold item from my palm

"What kind of bow is it?" she asked

"I'm not sure…it was in the closet. Listen, after this mission, I'll be resigning" I said, sitting up

"What?! Why would you do that? We were just getting into our-" I cut her off

"I'm sorry, but I have to go back to china for something very important…something I'd forgotten about after Beth died. And there can't be an "us" anymore. I've got someone very special back home waiting for me" I said, trying to sound as sincere as possible

"I see…" she said, letting her ears drop and looking at the ground

"And I need you to promise me two things" I said, grabbing her attention again

"Anything" she replied

"One: you need to take my position as Chief. And two: you've got to make sure Officer Tank is kept safe" I said

"Of course"

"Let's go. I've got to take this guy out" I said, standing up, and pulling Trina up, grabbing my bow from her

"I want you to take my gun. I won't need it" I said, unclipping my belt and handing it to her

"Yes you will…all these people we're up against will have guns!" she exclaimed like I was crazy, stepping back

"I need you to trust me on this. I'm not gonna need it because they won't be able to hit me" I said, tossing it to her

She was silent for a few moments before nodding. After I slung my bow over my shoulder, we went out to her car, which held three other armed officers in the back seat. We raced, sirens blaring, to a tall building made of everything black. Even tinted windows. The S.W.A.T. has surrounded the building already, along with about twenty police men and women. When we parked, I got out and rushed over to the S.W.A.T. captain and tapped on his shoulder.

"What's the story?" I asked

"And who the hell are you to be asking this, Bow?" he asked. I ignored his smug comment about my bow

"Chief of police, Fisk Thompson, the one in charge here. Now let's try this again: what's the story?" I asked again, giving this pit bull a glair. He was easy to intimidate since he was two inches shorter than me

"My apologies, sir. We have the building surrounded, nobody has come out, but there was some shooting on arrival. We're definitely in the right place" he replied

"Listen, and listen carefully. These are your orders: stay out here, let nobody except me in or out. I'm going in" I said

"Alone, sir?" he asked

"If you know anything about me, I can handle myself. Just follow those orders" I said, then began my walk towards the front door

Upon reaching three meters away, I began sprinting. I broke through the glass window and was instantly dodging bullets from ten armed people. They were all using the same brand semi-auto assault rifle. I targeted the closest assailant and ran at him. I covered the distance between us in less than a second, doing a spin kick to knock aside his gun while at the same time dodging other bullets. For the ones I couldn't dodge, I secretly used my Xing energy to deflect them. After I'd knocked his gun from his hands, I grabbed him and threw him at the next closest thug. They collided skull on skull and both lay unconscious on the ground. I then removed my bow from my back and spun it around like a staff, knocking aside bullets as I engaged two more. When I was close enough, I ducked and used my bow to sweep their feet from underneath them. As I continued my attack, I took them out. In a blur of black, gold, and red sparks, they were all unconscious at my feet. This all took place in a short fifteen seconds. I gave the people outside a "thumbs up" saying I was ok, and then made a break for the stairwell.

This was a building made as a fort. Each floor had a separate stairwell going up and down, meaning I would have to go through each floor. When I barged in the door to the second floor, I was met by so called "ninjas" who carried swords and threw spiked metal throwing stars at me. I ran at them, bow in hand, and fell to my knees, sliding under the blades that aimed to separate my head from my shoulders. I quickly got up and twisted around, using my Xing energy to push them into the wall ten feet away, and knocking them out. I then ran for the next stairwell. With each floor came a different brand of enemy, all of which I overcame easily. In the past I wouldn't have been so amazed at my skill, but having not used it in months I felt incredible. They couldn't lay a finger on me. Forty stories and well over 100 foes later, I found myself at a heavily armored last door. I had to use my bow to blast through the door. And it took some energy, too. The door seemed reinforced with some dark energy. Upon entry, I caught site of a large fat orange cat, sitting in a big red throne with a large picture of the face I saw in my vision on the wall behind him. I noticed he was sitting in a separate room, blocked off by a wall and a large window. I ran for the window, jumping at it with the aim to break through. Upon contact, I was thrown back, tumbling into the wall on the far side of the room.

"You won't break through that" I heard from beside me

When I opened my eyes to look, I saw a figure that seemed made of darkness. He was large, about an inch taller than me, and very well-muscled. He wore only what looked like silk pants. I stood up and got into a defensive position, bow still in hand. He looked to be in the shape of a Leopard, but I wasn't sure.

"I've covered that wall and window with a dark barrier. Only way to get through is to defeat me, and how can you do that when your master can't?" he asked, followed by an evil laugh

"What are you talking about?" I asked, sincerely confused by his words

"Years ago, I fought your master right after defeating the furious five. In the end, he ran screaming from me! Even he feared my might, and I was only killed by a fat panda! But in your kind's words, I was too powerful to stay dead. Now I seek revenge, but your kind stands in my way. I kill and to strengthen my master, so he can one day regain enough strength to return. He is the one who will gain revenge on your kind, but I will have my vengeance on the Dragon Warrior!" he yelled, then got into his own fighting position

"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" he exclaimed menacingly

"You are the phantom that has the honor of being my first to kill!" I yelled

"I am Tai Lung!"

**Cliffhanger! Sorry about taking so long, but I've been doing lots of work. I'm graduating middle school next week and I've been making sure my grades are good. I congratulate myself! And I've also been having relationship problems. Been over a month since we broke up and she left my heart very empty. I won't bore you with details. Review please!**


	13. Home

**mc_central,net. That's the MineCraft server I play on. Change the underscore to a dash and the comma to a period. The website wouldn't let me put links. On with chapter thirteen, the first phantom battle Fisk will ever face. Will he survive? Also, this chapter will contain a song called On My Way by Phil Collins. I don't own it! But I suggest you have it ready to listen. You'll know when to start playing it. I won' be typing the lyrics to save room for typing choreography. Just imagine him singing, ok?**

Chapter 13

"I am Tai Lung!"

Right after screaming his own name, he lunged. He definitely either under estimated me, or over-estimated himself, because his attack left him wide open. He got close enough and threw a punch directly as my face. I ducked under his flying arm, grabbing his wrist with one arm while throwing my other elbow into his gut. After that, I pivoted underneath him and lifted him above me, throwing him into the glass. He only hit it and fell down, landing on his feet and holding his chest in pain.

"I expected more from the great Tai Lung" I said, shrugging my bullet proof vest off my shoulders and onto the ground

"Oh, were you actually trying? I was just warming up" he said, trying to intimidate

I only laughed, "That's good. I was about to get disappointed"

With that, he lunged once more, this time faster. He threw a kick to my head, but I blocked it, countering by sweeping his other leg from underneath him. He caught himself with his arms, fighting while doing a hand stand. This time he managed to kick me in the chest, sending me flying into the wall. The blow also ruffled my hair, so it hung messy in front of my face. I got up off the ground and looked at him in anger. As if on cue, thunder boomed outside. I could hear the sound of autumn rain on the window. I grabbed my bow from off the ground beside me and lunged, swinging it at his face. He leaned back as I expected he would, so I send a chop to his front. This knocked him to the ground. He was quick to his feet, rolling backwards before I could slam my foot down on his dark chest. He definitely didn't fight like the phantoms that were explained to me by Sky. When he got to his feet, he just stood there, grinning evilly.

"I've been waiting to once again fight a Xing, and you haven't yet run like your master did. I'm impressed at what is either courage or stupidity. Tell me why it is that you stay and fight" he commanded

"I'm sworn to defeat any phantom I come across, and the bastard you are protecting has cost the life of a friend, and the legs of another. They will be avenged" I replied, then charged with a battle cry

I plowed into him and forced him back and out the window. He broke through with ease, falling down. I felt good…my first battle with a phantom and I'd won. I turned around to go retrieve my vest, but then I heard a voice behind me.

"Don't tell me you're giving up" he said

I turned around to see Tai Lung, suspended in mid-air. He was flying! Well, two can play at that game. I ran for the broken window, jumping out and focusing on the control I had. I was then flying with him out in the lukewarm rain. We then engaged in mid-air battle. With no ground or building to limit us, I let loose. I raised my bow and aimed at him, being a few meters away he couldn't close the distance in time. I pulled back the string and charged up my favored attack.

"Call to the solar comet, HA!" I let go of the string

The bolt flew at him with such speed, he couldn't avoid. He wasn't very well practiced at flying, that much was clear.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" he exclaimed just before being hit

His body lit up, turning a grey color before disappearing completely. I let out a roar, signaling my victory. I surprisingly heard applause beneath me. When I looked, I discovered that a crowd had gathered, watching the display of light and power. I was amazed that they were applauding instead of running. They must have thought it was just a performance. I ignored it for now, flying back into the building and finding that the fat cat rat was still there. At first he smiled, but when he realized I had won, his look turned to fear. I used one punch to break through the class barrier, jumping through the hold and pulling him out of the chair.

"Hēi'àn will return, and your kind will be defeated!" he yelled in my face, alcohol in his breath

"Keep thinking that, pal. You're going away, Rat" I replied, then dragged him over to the broken window

I repeated the process of what I'd done with Beth's killer, tossing him out then jumping out with him. When I landed with ease, I caught him, putting him on the ground beside me.

"It's all clear. Go in and detain the rest of them" I said, but was quickly silenced by guns being aimed at me

"What the hell are you?" the S.W.A.T. captain asked

"Someone who only seeks to do good. Trust me, you don't want to attack. Trina, where are you?" I asked, looking around

"Here" I heard an unsure voice say, followed by her walking slowly out to me

"This is why I can't stay. That thing I was fighting up there was a being more powerful than anything but my kind can defeat. I came here to train, but lost sight of my goal. Now I have to return and prepare for more of them" I said, "You are chief now. I have to go" I finished, and then wrapped her in a hug

Without another word, I broke the hug and took to flight, being applauded as I flew back to my apartment. When I arrived, I went in and packed the leather bag full of my stuff. My old silk cloths, the pictures, and my money. I then grabbed my guitar and left, locking the door behind me and leaving the key on the ground. But before I could make it to the street, a police car with sirens blaring drove up to the curb beside me, and then shut down all its electronics and engine. Trina quickly stepped from the car.

"You aren't going anywhere until I get a better explanation!" she yelled

I didn't bother to argue. I sat her down in the car and explained everything. The entire history of the Xing, my master, the phantoms, and me…the entire reason I couldn't be with her, and the reason I had to go home. When I was done, we sat there in silence for a few moments before I stood up and said goodbye, bowing as was tradition back in China. But before I turned to walk away, she stood up and grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at her.

"Just one for the road" she said, confusing me

My confusion left me when she grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me into a kiss. I decided to honor what she wanted as a goodbye and kissed her back. It didn't last long, for I had to get home as quickly as possible. After I once again bowing, I took to flight and headed for the harbor. It didn't take me long to arrive, but it definitely was harder finding a boat to China. I eventually spotted a boat carrying ingredients from China, and the goose driving wore silk robes. I jogged over to him quickly.

"Hey, sir! Are you heading to Chine after this?" I asked upon reaching him on the dock

"Wǒ bù huì shuō yīngyǔ, xiānshēng" he replied, speaking Chinese

I had to focus to switch my brain back over to my native language.

"My apologies. I've been living here too long. I asked if you'd be returning to china?" I asked

"Yes, of course! I'll be making a few stops along the way, but yes. Why do you ask?" he asked in reply

"I was wondering if you could provide me transport me back to the mother land. I'd be happy to pay you if it is required" I said

"I'd be happy to give you a ride! But my fee is not something to laugh at. Can you afford?" he asked

"I can pay. I only have American money on me now, when we arrive in china I can give you the money in Yuan" I replied

"Ok, then right now I expect five hundred American dollars, and when we get back in china I expect 1000 Yuan" he said, crossing his wings across his chest

I nodded and pulled the money from my bag, handing it to him. He let a smile come across his beak and motioned for me to come aboard. I thanked him and jumped over the rail onto his boat. It was a Chinese style boat, similar to the one I rode here on. After setting sail, I learned that his name was Ling, and that he was a trade merchant, bringing Chinese foods to foreign lands and bringing back foreign things. I told him no more than my name and what I'd be doing throughout the trip home. I was planning to walk into town performing a song on my guitar, but I only knew American songs, so to fit the rhythm of the song but also singing in Chinese, I had to change certain lines and rearrange some. I did this through the long trip home. It took longer than the trip here, meaning while on the sea I turned twenty. I also did my normal fighting-off-the-storms thing, as it turned to winter while I was traveling. I could tell when we were getting close, because I could smell the fried rice and dumplings. My mouth was watering already. When we docked in the same dock as when I left, I grabbed my bow and secretly created the Yuan. I gave it to Ling and said my goodbye's before grabbing my things and leaving the dock. I took to flight and headed for my first stop: Gongmen City. I had to see the progress the Wu Sisters had made since I left. It took about a half hour to arrive, give or take, and I quickly fest singled out as I walked into town. I was still wearing my blue jeans and a white t-shirt, so I stood out in the crowd. I was walking through the lower parts of the city, and was disappointed to find that it was still full of crime.

"Does anyone know where I can find the Wu Sisters?" I asked loudly, making everyone look at me and start whispering to each other

"Is he crazy?"

"He's calling out the Wu Sisters!"

"He is so dead"

All these whispers were silenced when I heard three distinct thumps behind me. I turned around and saw three familiar Snow Leopards walking towards me.

"Right here, stranger. And if you aren't looking to die, I suggest you not call us out" Wing said

"What business do you have with us?" Wan asked

"And speak with care" Su concluded

I did my best to comically look hurt, pretending to have a broken heart by holding my left paw up to my chest.

"I'm wounded! How could you treat your returned friend in such a way?" I asked, making them look confused

"Do we know you?" Su asked, stepping forward

"I wouldn't think you'd forget, but I was a lot smaller and younger. Just a simple act of kindness" I hinted

When I said that, their eyes went wide. They then all ran towards me and wrapped me in a tight hug, which I quickly returned.

"Fisk, it's so good to see you!" Wing said

"Very! How'd it go? Did you learn what you wanted to?" Su asked

"Yes, give us details!" Wan commanded

"Yes, I learned everything I needed to learn, plus a few extras! I thought I'd drop by and see how you three were doing before I went back to the valley of peace. How have things been going?" I asked

"Well, we aren't wanted by the Emperial Guard anymore, but people still fear us, so all in all things are amazing!" Su exclaimed

"Well, that's great! I'm sorry, but I can't stay for long. I need to get home and discuss some important matters with my master. I must go" I said, earning sad looks from the sisters

"Ok, but you must visit soon!" Wan said, hugging me again, followed by the other two

"Yes" Su and Wing said in unison

"I will. Goodbye!" I said as I broke the hug and took to flight, heading in the direction of the valley of peace

I flew slowly on the way there, taking the scenery back into my memory. Gongmen Harbor, the Bamboo Forest, the mountains, even the graveyards. It was all still the same, save for some new and missing trees, new graves, and replaced bridges. When I reached the Bamboo Forest, I started walking. I found the path that led into town and began my walk, making sure my guitar was tuned. I stopped just shy of the tree line. I could see the town up ahead, covered in Snow and crawling with people. Some kids I didn't recognize and older people that I remembered being younger. I took a deep breath, and then began strumming on my guitar as I walked into town. I quickly grabbed the attention of the kids, who followed me through town. I then began singing. I walked through town, skipping to the beat and was followed by a chain of little children who liked hearing me play. I could hear people who recognized me saying "He's back!" and could see them smiling. I continued to move through town, beginning to whistle in the part that calls for it. I kept moving until I reached the base of the stairs that led to the Jade Palace, where I stopped and just played for my audience. I did this until I reached the final chorus, at which point I kept going up the stairs. The adults stayed at the bottom, but the kids kept following me up the stairs. They were smiling and laughing, bringing joy to my heart as I kept walking, twirling around with some dance moves as I sang. I had to be careful not to slip on ice. The cold wasn't bothering me as I skipped up the stairs, nearly to the top. When I reached the top, I had just concluded the song. The gate was closed, so I sat at the base of the stairs and continued to play for the kids. I played a couple more songs without words until I heard the gate open. I didn't turn around, but I looked at the kids' faces. They had looks of fear, and they quickly ran down the stairs screaming. I then felt a spear tip touch my back.

"Stand up slowly" I heard a female voice, and did as it commanded

"Turn around" she said. I complied

I turned around to find a wolf, about an inch shorter than me, holding a spear at my chest. I instantly identified her as Syrina, but was amazed at how her looks hadn't changed since I left.

"Syrina?" I asked for clarification

"Syrina was my mother, and she's no longer here. Now you must deal with me or my father. What is your business with us?" she asked

"Niki" I said, looking at her with amazement

"How do you know my name?" she asked, letting the spear drop to one hand dangling at her side

Without words, I moved to wrap her in a hug, lost in my moment of disbelieve. She wasn't so lost, though, as she used a spin kick to knock me aside. She then once again raised the spear.

"You've got three seconds to tell me who you think you are and then I'm going to run you through" she said, stepping towards where I lay on the ground

"Last I checked I was a close friend of yours, just returning from America" I replied, getting up off the ground

"Fisk" she whispered to herself, dropping the spear and rushing over to me, wrapping me in a hug, which I quickly returned

We stayed like this for what seemed like an eternity, enjoying each-others warm embrace. I never wanted to leave this position, but had to when I heard another familiar wolf's voice at the gate.

"Niki, what did I tell you about the strange boys?" he asked angrily as he stomped over

"Collin, I'm hurt! You've called me many things but never strange" I joked, stopping him in his tracks as he recognized me, making me smile

He then came over and embraced me in a guy hug, which I returned.

"It's good to see you, Fisk!" he said

"You too, man! Did you get shorter?" I asked, comparing our sizes

"Yeah, getting old does that! Come inside, the others need to know you've returned!" he said, leading me inside

Niki was quickly on my opposite side, wrapped around my arm. I could hear people training in the training hall, and I could hear Po snoring in the barracks. It was early in the morning, so it was normal for him to still be asleep. Collin left to go get him and Shifu while Niki went into the training hall to train and act like nothing was up. We planned to make them think I was an intruder, just to see how well they'd react to someone invading. I took my position on the roof of the training hall, waiting for everyone to run out into the court yard, including Sky. He saw me on the roof immediately, but knew who I was. He could sense my energy as I sensed his, and he smiled ad winked. I winked back and got ready to charge into the group of people. Po, Shifu, The Furious Five, Collin, Niki, and even Lucy were there waiting and searching for the intruder. I could hear them strategizing.

When all their backs were turned, I lunged. I started by hitting Tigress and Po from the back. They were knocked forward while Shifu and the rest attacked me from all sides. I left my bow attached to my back, since if I used it, it wouldn't be fair. I grabbed ahold of Monkey and used him as a projectile to knock Crane away before grabbing Lucy and using her as a shield against Mantis, who was once again using his giveaway battle cry. I was careful not to hurt my nineteen year old sister as I tossed her aside, while ducking an attack by Shifu. I then spun around and backhanded Viper, leaving only Shifu, Niki, Collin, and Sky standing. They all, save for Sky, attacked at once. I jumped over Shifu while doing a split and kicking away Collin and Niki. They didn't get back up, acting unconscious. When Shifu came at me for a third time, I twisted around and spin kicked him away.

"Everyone stop, he's too strong for you!" Sky exclaimed, acting along as he slowly removed his dual spear from his back

I copied him and removed my bow, preparing for his move. He charged at me, spear held in one hand behind his back while his other hand was held in front, ready to defend. When he was close enough, I went on the offensive. I used my bow as a staff and began attacking, having my blows blocked each time. He eventually tried to counter, but I was too fast. He went to take my head off with his spear, but I ducked and lunged with a powerful fist to his gut, making him stumble back. I didn't give him a chance to retaliate, running at him and lifting him above my head. I threw him high into the air, but he never fell. He continued to fly, and I could sense him charging up a powerful attack.

"Power of the ancestors, HA!" he yelled, and I saw a rainbow beam headed straight at me

I was unfazed as I took aim and charged up my latest attack, pulling back the string.

"Solar flash!" I yelled, then released the string

Our attacks met at the midway point between us, each one fighting for dominance. But mine was definitely stronger as it quickly pushed his back. Eventually his disappeared and my attack enveloped him, or so it seemed. At first glance it looked like he was destroyed, but he used his Xing energy to teleport back to the ground, out of sight behind a pillar. Everyone looked with sadness in their eyes, except for Niki and Collin. I saw some tears fall from Po's eyes, making me laugh.

"Are those tears for me, Po?" I heard Sky ask as he stepped into view, walking over to me

"Welcome home, Fisk" he said, then embraced me in a hug

Everyone else, even Shifu looked confused. Lucy wasn't confused for long as she accepted the simple truth that it was me. She ran over and leaped into my arms. She was very small compared to me, so it was like cradling a cub. It didn't take long for the rest to follow, save for Shifu and Tigress, as I was buried in people, all welcoming me home. When I got un-buried, I walked into the building which held the kitchen, wanting Po to whip me up some delicious Noodle Soup. He did without me even asking while everyone else sat around the table and waited for me to describe my trip. Po lost interest after the part about the Wu Sisters ended, and continued to make the food. I had to continuously swallow as the smell made my mouth water. When I told them about the phantoms returning is when everyone stopped having fun and started getting serious, especially when I said I fought Tai Lung.

"And what of Hēi'àn? Is he to return?" Sky asked

"I regret to say yes. People are killing for the soul purpose of making him strong enough to come back and defeat you and every Xing there is" I replied

The table was silent. It was a bit too stale for Monkey and Mantis's taste, because they began telling jokes and making everyone laugh.

"Stop being so serious!" Monkey said

"Yeah, our friend is back, lighten up!" Mantis agreed

This successfully lightened the mood of the room, taking people's minds off the danger and causing the subject to change. I listened to the stories of what I missed while I ate my soup, savoring each and every drop as they rolled on my tung and down my throat. Apparently, crime had been low in the valley since I left. The croc bandits, Tong Fo, and that ox dude were the only people who did anything.

"So, Fisk, why don't we get you back into some Silk clothes instead of whatever else you're wearing. Come on down to the market" Niki said, getting up, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the kitchen and all the way to the stairs before I stopped her

"Man, it's good to be home. How'd it get dark so fast?" I asked, looking at the sky and seeing the full moon and numerous stars

"You arrived late in the day. Didn't you notice?" she asked

"I must still be on American time" I said

"Don't you just love the night sky?" Niki asked, looking up at the stars and moon

I thought about her words. She likes the night sky, so maybe I should give her a better view.

"Let's get a closer look" I said, sweeping her up into my arms bridal-style and flying up into the air, making her shriek

After we got a good distance from the ground, I slowed my accent, until I was just hovering. Niki's vision was locked on the moon and stars. She didn't even notice me staring. _She's so beautiful tonight. She's not the same little wolf cub I left behind. _While I was lost in thought, I still felt it when Niki cuddled closer into my chest. I could feel my heart rate speed up, and a warmness crept up in my heart, replacing the cold that was there. I felt contempt in ways I couldn't explain. We stayed like this for what felt like hours until clouds began to block out the moon and stars, at which point I flew back down and into town. When I landed, I put Niki down, but she surprised me by turning around and hugging me tightly. I didn't object, but returned the hug as warmly as possible.

"I missed you" she said after a few moments

"I missed you too. But I'm home now, and don't you ever think I'll ever leave again" I replied, making her hug me even tighter

"I'll kill you if you do" she said

After a few more moments in the hug, she lifted her head from my chest and pulled away. She again surprised me, though, but jumping at me and wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling me into a kiss which I quickly returned. I pulled her in closer by putting my arms underneath hers and wrapping them around her back. After a few moments of passionately kissing, we broke for much needed air.

"Welcome back" she said, laughing

I also laughed as she led me down the stone brick pathway into a late-night market, where she led me into a booth that sold cloths. There, she picked out a tight, long-sleeved tan Kung Fu shirt. It had no ties on the front as it was meant to be a slip-on shirt. She then picked me out a pair of black silk pants like I used to wear, but bigger so they fit my larger body. I grabbed myself a pair of Kung Fu shoes and paid for all the items before we began to walk towards mine and Lucy's house. At that point, Niki said her goodbye's and rushed back up the stairs to the Jade Palace. When I walked in, I found that everything was exactly the way I'd left it. Lucy must have worked hard not to change anything. My first order of business was to bathe. I took my new clothes and went into the wash room, where I started the water. I left for the tub to fill while I went into my bedroom to change and try on the clothes. The pants fit well, along with the shoes. The shirt was tight fitting, as it was meant to be to show off the muscles. The shirt also had two gauntlets attacked to the wrists. They were simply two leather wrist bands which covered half my lower arm, and were studded with steal buds. After trying out all my cloths, I went into the bathroom to find the tub nearly full of steaming water. I quickly stripped off my cloths and stepped into the hot water, turning off the faucet when it was full. I only took a quick bath, scrubbing the dirt, fish scales, and sweat from my fur. After that I went to bed and fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep…

**Good ending? I think so! Just kidding, it isn't over yet. You just wait…things are gonna happen. The lemon is soon to come, and it won't be in this story. It will be in a separate story for the lemons, so the people who don't want to read them don't have to skip through anything. And congrats to myself, I just graduated Middle School!**


	14. First Date

**I'm back! Hope you enjoyed Fisk's return home. BTW, the lemon will only be three or four chapters away depending on how things turn out; just a warning. I'm doing it for you guys…**

Chapter 14

I woke the next morning to the sound of a crash outside. The sun was already out, so I assumed I overslept. I got up and grabbed my bow off the table beside my bed, slinging it over my shoulder. I was about to yawn when I heard another crash, followed by a grunt unique to a dragon-themed panda. I shot up quickly and ran out the door to find Po fighting an owl, while the rest of the five lay on the ground, unmoving. Po seemed nearly defeated as the owl continuously attacked using techniques and moves unknown to me. It even used a special energy to attack…energy not of Xing, but not of darkness either. Po was on his knees, unable to get up as she was about to finish him when I saw a blur of a wolf knock her from the air.

"Back down Fenghuang, you can't win! I beat you before!" Niki said, getting into a flawless fighting stance

"That was a fluke and you know it! Nobody defeats me!" the owl yelled as she again took flight

I watched, unable to move as Niki dodged endless energy balls, bending backwards and jumping while flipping over them. It was amazing how skilled she'd become in battle. I became lost in thought, no longer aware of the battle taking place right in front of me. That was until I heard the grunt of Niki, taking me from my trance. All I saw was Niki fall to the ground, clenching her…well, everything. I instantly sprang into action, rushing to her side. Upon seeing me, she partially grinned.

"Would've been good to see you a few minutes ago" she grunted out

"I'll take it from here" I said, standing up and facing the owl I identified as Fenghuang

"And who is this buffoon?" she asked, looking at me

"Someone to be feared" I heard Po say behind me

"Oh really? We'll see" she said quietly, getting ready to fight

I removed my bow and dropped it at Niki's side, preparing to join the owl in flight. Before I could, though, she sent another energy ball flying at me. I knew if I dodged, it would hit Niki, so I absorbed. I stuck my hand out and caught it, slowly allowing the strange energy to flow into me. All it did was dissipate into my Xing, so I couldn't summon it. Fenghuang stared wide eyed at me, then gasped as I began flying into the air. Before I even got into a defensive position, she screamed and flew away. Her reaction was unexpected and nearly knocked me out of the air. I shrugged it off and flew back down to the five, Po, and Niki.

"Sky isn't around, can you fix us up?" Tigress asked, barely conscious

"Yeah. I think I can heal you guys up alright" I replied, then closed my eyes and began to focus

I detected each of their unique energies, sending my healing energy into the light draped over their bodies. It healed them quickly, and surprisingly didn't drain me very much. I wasn't surprised, though, when even though I healed him, Po remained asleep on the ground. Everyone else stood up and began thanking me for the help.

"You got here in just the nick of time" Viper said as she got herself untangled from a pole

"Isn't that what heroes do?" I asked, helping her get out of a knot

"Yeah-HEY! WATCH THE HANDS!" she screamed as I pulled her out

"Sorry!" I apologized, moving back as she stared angrily at me

"Give him a break, it's not like it's easy to tell where your parts are" Niki said, wrapping around me left arm and hugging it

Everyone but Viper laughed, while she just continued watching me, but not as angrily. Eventually she laughed as well, and then we all walked up to the Jade Palace. I didn't say anything, but I was curious as to what those moves were that Fenghuang was using. I decided it best that I consult Master Shifu for answers. Upon reaching the end of the seemingly endless stairs, we all saw that Shifu was waiting for us, a rare look of joy on his face.

"Po, you did it! You sent Fenghuang on the run! I'm so proud, Dragon Warrior!" he said, rushing over to Po, who smiled and was about to start bragging, but Tigress cleared her throat and glanced at me

Po sighed, then confessed, "It wasn't me who scared her off. Fisk got there just in time to save all our skins. Congratulate him" Po said, hanging his head in short lived defeat before rushing off to the kitchen

"Well then, it's no surprise she couldn't compare to you. Good work, Fisk. I'll be sure to have you train with them to hone their skills with otherworldly energies" Shifu said, glancing at everyone who remained, all looking ashamed

"That reminds me, may I speak with you, Master? Some questions require answers, and for help with my research I seek out you for guidance" I said, trying to sound formal and flattering to get the best help possible

I heard Monkey snicker behind me as Shifu nodded and motioned me to follow him. He led me away from the main courtyard and to the Hall of Heroes, where he then led me into a room near the back and down some stairs. I couldn't help but feel that the amount of stairs in this valley alone equals the amount of stairs throughout America. He led me into an underground chamber he called the sacred archives, which held endless cases of scrolls.

"In these archives lies every secret and legend of Kung Fu. Even the more recent ones, like Po acquired. You'll probably read about it in your studies. Now, what questions needed answers?" Shifu asked

"Those attacks the owl was using…they were of an energy I couldn't decipher. Not Xing, but also not that of which the Phantoms use. I assumed they must be of origin of the martial art Tai Chi, the control of bodily energy. But I'd like to further study it" I answered, making him look partially dazed

"Well, I haven't a clue about the Tai Chi bit, but the moves Fenghuang used were five of the seven Unmasterable Techniques. They are based off controlling the flow of energy within the body, so you could be right, but studying this particular topic won't be so easy. You'd have to start as far back as the legend of Oogway and Ke Pa, lord of the demons. That is the first scroll, and where Oogway mastered the energy within to defeat a powerful foe. I'll leave you to your studies" he concluded, then handed me a torch from off the wall

He then left me in the dim glow of the torch, alone to study. I decided to start by taking the long way and carefully reading each scroll one by one. The first scroll was interesting. Dark beings, yet not Phantoms, rose from beneath, and tried to overtake the entire planet, but Oogway used a gift bestowed upon him called The Heroes Chi, only bestowed once every generation. Oogway defended the valley, along with the Sacred Peach Tree, but hadn't yet defeated the leader of the demons, Ke Pa. nearly defeated, Oogway saw no hope, but the peach tree was more than it seemed. It restored his energy, and helped him to banish Ke Pa and his demon hoard back into the underworld. Oogway then used the last of his Heroes Chi to put a seal over the gateway to the underworld, trapping the demons there, but Ke Pa was trapped as a pig here in what the scroll called the middle world. I was amazed at just how sacred that peach tree really was, and how much Oogway really sacrificed for the world. After reading through many more scrolls, I found that it was taking too long. I'd be dead before I finished reading all these scrolls. I put all of the scrolls back in their original places, then move each case to where they formed a circle around me. I then sat crisscross dead in the center, closed my eyes, and began to meditate.

"Ancestors…bring me knowledge" I spoke ten times, and then slipped into something of a trance

In my trance, I slowly went through each and every scroll, seeing each lesson and move and scroll in a vision, instead of words on paper. The Americans would call this "Downloading information", but to me it was just super-advanced reading. As this continued, real time wasn't moving at all. For every 100 scrolls I read, only a few seconds passed, but for me it seemed like each scroll to a half hour to forty five minutes. I eventually reached the part about back when Shifu was part of a previous Furious Five, and of this group of skilled warriors, the most powerful was an owl. Her name was Fenghuang, and though she was part of a group of heroes, her need for power led her to continuing a chain of betrayals. She, like the past most powerful of the Furious Five, turned evil and sought to become the greatest warrior known. In her search to become most powerful, she somehow mastered moves and techniques thought impossible to master. There were seven, in total, and she mastered five. After studying for a few hours, I'd gone through every scroll in the archives. I fully understood how the moves were done, and knew they were dangerous.

After putting each case back in its proper position, I made my way back up the stairs. The sun was now at its highest point in the sky and beginning to descend as I exited the building I was in. I couldn't find anyone around as I searched. Nobody in the training hall, or the kitchen. There wasn't a single trace of them in the area. I couldn't even sense their life force. My confusion was set aside when I found a cloak, and not the kind you wear, either. I could sense a nearly non-existent Xing Energy Field over one general area, and, using my own Xing Energy, I lifted the cloak, revealing everyone who lives in the palace. I then heard Sky begin to applaud me.

"I never thought anyone could ever detect my energy cloak. Amazing!" he said as he moved from behind a building

"It wasn't the easiest thing to find, but America gave me practice detecting energies" I replied, walking up to him and bowing in respect

He bowed back as everyone began coming from around the same building. Lucy decided to act like a little kid and climbed up my body onto my shoulders, laughing the whole way. I also laughed. She was now barely tall enough to have her ears reach my knee, so to me she was the size of a sack of flour. When I managed to get her off, I saw Niki looking at me with distant eyes. I waved my hand at her, but she was lost in thought, an odd smile on her face. Eventually, Collin called her name and tapped her shoulder, bringing her from her trance and making her seem confused.

"What, what happened?" she asked, making everyone laugh

"You were daydreaming, sweety" Collin said, making her blush

"Was it noticeable?" she asked

"Not really…you were only staring at Fisk with a love-struck smile on your face while none of us could get your attention" Monkey said, then he, Mantis, and Po broke out laughing

Her blush, which shined through her gray facial fur, spread across her entire face, and she looked somewhat hurt from Monkey's comment

"Cool it, you three. Everything has it's time, and that wasn't the time for that joke" I said

"But it was so funny!" Po exclaimed through laughter as he rolled on the ground

I looked at Niki, who clearly looked hurt and I could sense the negative vibe coming off of her. They were really hurting her feelings.

"Don't make me get mad, guys. You really won't like it" I warned, making them stop

"Your right. We're sorry, Niki" Mantis said

"Yeah, sorry you love Fisk too much to stay in reality!" Po exclaimed, then he alone continued laughing

At this comment, Niki stormed off, angry and hurt. Collin chased after her, but he was soon rolling down the stairs he chased her up. At this, I got very angry. Po was on the ground once again, directly between me and the main gates. Before anyone could see what had happened, I had already thrown Po across the courtyard, out the gates, and could hear him bouncing down the stairs.

"Now laugh at Po while I go talk to her. And don't think you two are off the hook" I said to Mantis and Monkey, then nodded to Shifu before rushing up the stairs to Niki's room

I could hear her quietly crying as I approached her door. I was going to quietly knock on the door, but I stepped on a squeaky board and heard her gasp.

"Just leave me alone! I get it, I'm a love struck idiot, now just leave me be!" she yelled

I didn't move. I was contemplating whether I should go in or leave her alone. I decided to go in, and hope for the best. I walked over and cracked the door open.

"It's me…can I come in?" I asked

"Oh…uh, yeah, sure" she said, not all that convincing

I walked in and closed the door behind me. Her room had changed since the last time I'd been in there. I could still remember crying at her bedside after blasting her accidentally when I was ten. Now, it wasn't as colorful. It contained what all the other rooms contained. One cot, a mat, and a cabinet for cloths.

"Hey" I said, walking over and sitting beside her on the cot

Her knees were to her chest and the fur on her cheeks was matted down with her tears. She only looked down when I spoke.

"You okay?" I asked, only getting a shrug in response

"You shouldn't listen to them. They're idiots…and if it makes you feel any better, I sent Po bouncing down the stairs. He's maybe halfway down by now" I said, earning a grin

"Good, I'm making progress…you sure have grown up in the past five years" I said

"So have you. Kinda sexy, actually" she said, then quickly face palmed

"I'm sorry, that came out wrong" she quickly said

"Its fine, cuz I was about to say you were rocking some larger items as well" I replied, glancing at her chest and making us both laugh

"What did America do to you?" she asked

"A lot…some for the better and some for the worse. Two people died on account of me…" I said, looking down myself

"I'm so sorry, Fisk. That must have been hard" Niki said, then scooted over and forced me to put an arm around her, cuddling into my chest

"It was…that's why I was gone so long. The first death made me forget about everything here…and the second death led to my remembering" I stated, pulling her close

"Never thought I'd here you say you forgot about me. I always dreamed you'd say that you never would" she said, acting like she was hurt

"Never again, I can promise you that" I said, looking directly at her face and into her light green eyes as she stared back into my golden ones

After about half a second, she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine, a kiss which I quickly returned. It didn't last longer than five seconds though, as I heard Collin clear his throat in the doorway. We quickly broke apart, blushing madly as we looked at him.

"If you don't mind, Fisk, it's sunset. Time to be going to bed, Niki" he said, stepping aside and motioning me to leave

"Right…goodnight Niki" I said, hugging her then standing up to leave

"Night" she replied

I walked passed Collin and he closed the door behind me, but he stopped me before I left the barracks.

"Fisk, you mean a lot to her. She cares for you more than she's ever cared for anyone else ever before" he said

"I care for her too, and I swear, she won't be hurt" I said, taking his words from him

"Thank you" he said, then motioned me permission to leave

I went out and down the stairs, passing Monkey and Mantis as Shifu talked and scolded them. When I got to the main courtyard, the sun had fully gone down. I entered the courtyard just as Po came through the main gate, moaning in pain as he limped passed me. After I got to the bottom, I went home. Lucy was already in bed when I walked into the bedroom, her little body spread out on her side. Without waking her, I laid down beside her, removing my bow and shirt before laying back and drifting into a peaceful sleep, slowly making plans for the next day.

I woke up bright and early, careful not to wake Lucy. I put on my shirt, then grabbed my bow and slung it around my back. I went into the living room and did some morning stretches to wake up. The sun wasn't even peaking over the mountains, yet, leaving the morning with a pail grey look. There was no movement outside…not even bugs. I could faintly hear my loud neighbor talking in his sleep, and I could smell Mr. Ping beginning to cook up the soup before opening time. After a few minutes of stretching, I began preparing the morning fruit tea and rice balls for breakfast. Lucy came out while I was cooking and yawned a "good morning".

"Good morning to you too" I replied, laughing a bit

"Any plans for today?" she asked, setting the table

"Yeah, I was gonna see if Niki was busy at all today. If not, then I was gonna take her to see if the Ladies of the Shade are performing today" I replied

"Ok. If you need to find me at all, I'm spending the day in town with Li-Yang" she said

"You're still with him? You guys must be doing well" I said, making her look proud

"Yeah, it started as I was just helping him come back after a life of stealing for some armadillo dude, but we got really close. We've been in a serious relationship since you left" she stated proudly

"Cool. I'll have to officially meet him soon" I said

"You didn't already?" she asked as we sat at the table with our breakfast

"Flying him around without even getting a good look at his face doesn't count" I replied, putting three rice balls on each of our plates

After she laughed, we ate quickly. She ate fast enough to rival Po, and right as she finished, there was a knock at the door. She said she needed to brush her fur really quick, and told me to let him in. I rolled my eyes and walked over to the door. I opened it and he stared at me wide eyed. He was wearing the same thing all the bunnies wore, and his plush fur was grey, unlike Lucy's, which was ivory. His cloths weren't exactly flattering, but for someone of his past, I would expect such. We sat in an awkward silence until Lucy finally came out, looking like one beautiful ball of cotton.

"Hey Li, ready to go?" she asked

"You know it. Can't wait to start a day with you" he replied, making Lucy blush through her cotton fur

"Alright, see you later, Lucy" I said as I opened the sliding door for them

"Bye, Fisk!" she replied, then like a flash, they were gone

After a few minutes more of stretching, I made sure I had everything, which was only a bag of money and my bow, and I was out the door no slower than Lucy had gone. When I was outside, I took a look around, making sure all was good. Nobody outside, no crimes going on and I was in the clear. The only activity going about was nice shoppers and townsfolk. I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that for once, nothing was going to ruin a relaxing day. After one more look around, I took to flight up to the Jade Palace. I landed at the top of the stairs in front of the sealed gate, which only opens when the morning Gong rings. The sun still wasn't very high up, only partly visible above the mountains in the distance. I didn't want to wait out in the cold, so I jumped high over the gate, landing on the other side. No sooner than I did was Shifu there trying to defend the Palace. It took him a minute to realize it was me in the dim light.

"My apologies, Fisk. After Tamutai, I've been watching that gate carefully" he apologized

"It's fine. Is nobody else awake yet?" I asked

"Only us…the others are in their rooms either sleeping or preparing for the morning gong. Care to join me for the wake-up call?" he asked in reply, getting a nod from me

Together we walked into the barracks. We stood at the end of the hall, simply waiting for the Gong and the normal acts of the morning. It was clear Po was still sleeping, since his door was shaking in unison with his snoring. If I listened carefully, I could her rustling in the other rooms. I could Tigress chanting "Inner Peace" like I was told Po and Shifu had done. It was something I never had to learn, for as a Xing, my inner balance comes from the unison of all living things. That's how we sense the dark energies of the Phantoms. After a few minutes of standing in the silence, arms crossed behind my back, the Gong rang.

"Good morning Master" the five said in unison as they exited their rooms

"Good morning, students. Panda, get up or I'll have Fisk throw you down the stairs over and over again until you miss breakfast!" Shifu yelled, clearly frustrated

Po was quickly out of his room, the fur on his left cheek matted with drool. He nearly broke through his paper door, forcing me to hold back a laugh, but it didn't stop me from smiling goofily.

"Good morning master!" he said quickly, followed by a sigh from Master Shifu

"After breakfast, we'll talk of training. Fisk, if you don't mind, then could you go up to the Sacred Peach tree and get Sky? He'll be aiding in our training today" Shifu requested

"Yes Master" I replied before going outside and flying to the top of the Peach Tree, where Sky hovered, ever focused on the approaching enemy

"Sky?" I asked, grabbing his attention

"Yes, Fisk?" he replied

"Shifu requested you meet them in the training hall after breakfast to aid in training the Five and Po" I said

"Alright, thank you. I'll be down shortly" he said, then continued his watch

I bowed respectfully before flying back down to the kitchen. I walked in to the smell of Bean Buns and Jasmine Tea, and the nice sight of everyone smiling as Po told another one of his exaggerated stories. I leaned against the door frame and listened as he told a story he's probably told a billion times before.

"You might be the scariest bandit in the province, but you're a lousy tipper!" Po said

After that, everyone started chattering amongst themselves until Master Shifu walked in behind me, followed by Sky.

"Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Crane, Viper, Po, you will be training with Sky. He will aid in your training with otherworldly energies. Collin, you and Niki can have the day off today. You've been training harder than anyone since Fisk came back, so you deserve it" Shifu said, then walked out, leaving Sky

I was partially unbelieving…I thought I'd have to bed Shifu to give Niki the day off, but I didn't even ask! I looked at Sky, and saw him smiling at me. When I looked, he sent me a wink and motioned me towards Niki. I mouthed my thanks, realizing he did this. I then walked over to where Niki was sitting next to her father.

"Hey Fisk!" she said, standing up and hugging me

"Hey," I replied, returning the hug

"So, you got the day off, huh?" I asked, still partially unbelieving

"Yeah, and I have no idea how to spend it" she replied

"How about with me?" I asked, silencing everyone in the room

Niki and I looked around, both of us creeped out by the eight pairs of eyes on us. Viper, the most caring of everyone in the group, looked like she was about to cry. She's always been the mother hen of all the people at the Palace, so I guess seeing the ten year old boy she once knew turned into a twenty year old asking out another youngster she once knew was either joyous for her or saddening. Tigress just stared blankly, while Monkey, Mantis, and Po looked to be holding back jokes and snickers. Crane only looked for a moment before returning to his food. Sky had already left, making it seven pairs of eyes. Collin was switching his gaze from me to Niki and back again, waiting for an answer. I turned my attention to the three jokers. Monkey's mouth was open to speak when I looked.

"I suggest you keep the comments to a minimum if you like having teeth" I warned, making him close his mouth

"So," I said, turning my attention back to Niki, "What do you say?"

"Sure, I'd love to. But what will we do all day?" she asked

"I don't know…walk around town, eat food, maybe see a performance or two. I just thought it'd be nice to spend some time together to make up for how long I was gone" I replied

"Alright, just let me get my fur better brushed" she said, then without another word jogged off to her room

The room was then silent. I could here a few snickers come from the lungs of the three comedians, but I ignored it. When everyone finished eating, they went to the training hall, led by Sky. It was suddenly only me and Collin left in the kitchen. He was done eating, but he just sat there waiting for Niki to come back.

"So, what do you really plan to do today?" he asked

"See a Ladies of the Shade performance, eat at Mr. Pings, buy her something nice at the market, and finish the night with something special. The details in between depend on how the day plays out" I replied, making him smirk

"Something special?" he implied, raising an eye brow

"You don't even have to ask to know what I mean" I stated, making him and I both laugh

Just then, Niki walked in. I was stunned! Her hair was taken out of its braid and fell beyond her shoulders to her upper back, and the fur along her face and arms was brushed out perfectly. It was silky smooth just to look at! Her blue eyes contrasted amazingly with her grey fur, and the orange vest added in made it look like something of a sunrise. She was certainly stunning, and I couldn't help but take to mind how much her body matured since I departed for Gongmen City all those years ago. I'm talking perfectly rounded backside, and her front went from flat to just below C Cup. I only marveled at those details for a split second before Collin slapped me upside the head, making Niki laugh. I apologized, blushing beneath the black and white fur on my cheeks.

"It's ok. Shall we?" she asked, motioning to the exit of the room

"Yeah, let's" I replied, walking over and having her interlock our fingers

We walked in silence until we reached the stairs, where we could see the entire village.

"Why don't we take the short way down," I said, and before I got I reply I swept her up into my arms and flew quickly down the stairs, her squealing with glee the entire way down

Upon reaching the bottom, I landed. She told me how much fun that was and then we walked over to where the Ladies of the Shade were doing their Parasol Dance, and I couldn't help but remember what happened the first time I saw one of these shows with Niki. I was swept from my feet and put into the dance unwillingly, but had fun all the same.

As if reading my mind, Niki spoke, "Do you remember what happened the first time we saw one of these shows?"

"Yeah, I was actually just thinking about that. We had better placing in the crowd that day, though. I can barely see anything they're doing" I said, trying to see over the large crowd

"I know! It's kinda disappointing. I like watching them perform" Niki said, looking quite frustrated and down by her disappointment

Feeling bad for her, I picked her up and put her on my shoulders so she could see. She laughed and squealed as I listed her off the ground, bringing a smile to my face. I help her up on my shoulders, sacrificing my view of the show, until the end. I put her back on the ground and she immediately whipped around and rewarded me with a peck on the cheek.

"Let's go get some food. Mr. Pings sound good?" I asked

"Yeah, that sounds perfect" Niki replied, wrapping herself around my right arm as we walked to the said restaurant

Upon walking in we realized that Mr. Ping was having a bad day. The restaurant was near empty…only a pig and her children.

"Oh, Fisk! Good to see you, would you like something?" he asked, walking over and looking hopeful, "I'll give you a discount since you were gone so long"

"No thanks, Mr. Ping. I'll buy full price, as I can see you're having a slow day" I replied, making his eyes light up as he ran back into the kitchen to begin cooking

"Two Secret Ingredient Soups please" Niki yelled to behind the counter

I looked around to find a small table for two, which was quickly found. I led Niki to it, pulling her chair out for her and helping her in, making her smile.

"Thank you" she said

"Of course" I replied, finding my own seat and planting myself down

"So, tell me about your trip. You told us the short version, now tell me in detail" Niki commanded, leaning forward in her chair

"Alright, well, on the boat ride there-"

"Order up!" I was interrupted

I laughed and walked over to the counter, giving Mr. Ping the required payment before taking the two bowls of noodles back to our table. Once I sat back down, I began the story again.

"So, on the boat ride I learned English, and it really wasn't a hard language to learn. When I got into the docks at New York City in America is where the story begins, and where I met Beth. Her bag had been stolen and the thief was running in my direction. I simply grabbed the bag from him and tossed him aside. He wasn't very strong or coordinated. I gave Beth's bag back to her and in return she helped me by telling me where the MMA Gym was, and helping me get some local cloths, which was what I was wearing when I returned. I told her why I came to America, and at first she didn't believe me, but I gave her some proof. After that, she let me stay at her home. I also saved her from someone trying to rape her, and was offered a job on the Police Force, but I declined. The Police are like the Furious Five. They stop crimes all day and risk their skins to save others. After that, she introduced me to Mag and Roy, two of her friends. We had lung together before going shopping, where I was bought my guitar, that instrument I was playing. After that the day was pretty much slow until we went to sleep. After that I went to train in the MMA, where my trainer, Ronny, basically measured my strength before teaching me the basics of MMA. After that, I just trained. Nothing really happened up until my first fight, which was something done publically in sport to decide who is the best fighter. I fought a guy who was undefeated and won without even trying. He didn't really like being beaten so easily, and didn't take it lightly. He tried to kill me, but in an attempt to protect me, Beth was killed. That's when I completely forgot about everything here. I went back and took the job on the Police Force and hunted him down. After catching him, I may have saved three or four lived from a burning building. After being made Captain, I was given two head officers for my squad, Sam and Tank. In the end, I was elected Chief and Sam was killed. She was being blackmailed by someone who had her husband, and she was ordered to kill me. In the process, she killed sixty three officers and injured ten others, including my other officer, Tank. He was paralyzed, and when she tried to come finish me off, she was killed. She managed to give me enough information to know where to find the person in charge of a growing criminal syndicate, and this is where my memory returned. I went back to Beth's apartment to find any weapons we could use to take on these people, and that's where I found my bow, and everything I had brought there from home. That brought all my memories back, and that's when I remembered you. After that, I had the entire Police Force surround the building while I went in and single handedly emptied the building of conscious criminals. But that's where the Phantom Form of Tai Lung attacked. I defeated him and brought the Rat to justice before coming back home" I concluded, also finishing my soup

"Wow" Niki said after a while of silence, "You really had a rough time there"

"Yeah, and I really wish I could've saved the people who died, but Life and Death isn't within my control" I replied, blinking back tears at the memory

On seeing this, Niki stood from her seat and walked around the table, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry" she said, trying to comfort me

"It's okay…let's get off the subject. We're on a date, we should be happy right now" I said, breaking away from the hug and standing up

"Okay…thanks Mr. Ping. See you later!" Niki said, waving to Mr. Ping behind the counter as we walked out hand-in-hand

I then led her to the market as the sun was going down. The entire way there she was bugging me to tell her where we were going, and to mess with her I didn't say. She looked rather disappointed as we walked into the market and just walked around…that is until she saw something at a clothing boutique she liked. She gasped before breaking her grip on my hand just as the moon began to rise. She ran over to the stand and just stared in awe as a silver silk dress hung from a hanger on a bar. It was the only dress they had, and it looked just her size.

"Look at the way it shines in the moonlight!" Niki exclaimed just as I reached her side

"You should get it" I said, trying to figure out her budget

"I could never afford it. Living at the palace is luxury, not wealthy" she said, clearly disappointed in that fact. _Bingo!_

"Hey, how much for the dress?" I asked loudly, grabbing the attention of the pig running the stand

"Oh, that is quite pricy…maybe I could interest you in this lovely-" I stopped him

"I'll pay. Give me a price" I said

"Alright it's…wait a minute, that you Freak?" he asked, making me instantly recognize him

"As I live and breathe…Wang, when did you get out of the orphanage?" I asked, knowing he was the Pig that slept beneath me

"Got too old. I see you got bigger, and rolling with this…thing. Nothing changes, I see" he said, followed by a malicious laugh, and making Niki hang her head

This angered me, but I kept control and took out my bag of money.

"I'll pay fifty Yuan and throw in a nice beat down for the dress" I said, silencing him

"Seventy five Yuan and I kick your ass" he retorted

"If we're playing this game, then how about this: I pay ten Yuan if I can pin you down, but if you can land a hit I'll pay you one hundred Yuan" I offered, making him gawk

"Deal" he replied, walking around his counter and into the dirt street, a smirk on his face

"When you're ready" I said, putting my hands behind my back and waiting calmly

He laughed, then after a few seconds began running at me. I simply stepped to the side and tripped him, making him fall onto his fat stomach. Before he could get up, I placed a foot on his back and applied pressure so he couldn't move.

"You have ten seconds to get up" I said, smiling

He tried to swing his short arms and legs to land a hit, but had no such luck. The time came and went but he still didn't give up. I waited thirty seconds before I told Niki to grab the dress and I tossed the money on the counter.

"Thank you for being so generous, Wang. I'll be sure to tell everyone of your changed heart" I said, making Niki laugh as we walked away

Wang cursed to nobody in particular as he flailed around in a tantrum.

"Thank you for this, Fisk" Niki said, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek as we walked back to palace in the moonlight

"Anything for you" I replied, kissing her cheek to even the score

From then on we walked in silence, only enjoying each other's presence. I could see Niki blushing beneath her fur, glancing at me occasionally then looking away. She clearly had something about us on her mind.

"Alright, spill it. What's going on in your head?" I asked as we reached the stairs and began to accent

"I don't know what you're talking about…" she lied

"You've been looking at me and blushing for the past couple minutes. Clearly something is on your mind" I replied

"It's hard to say…it mind weird you out" She said, unsure

"I went across the world; I've seen some pretty disturbing things. Just tell me" I said, trying to sound forceful but grinning all the same

She was silent for a while, just blushing and looking ahead. It wasn't until we reached the top that she spoke.  
"Do you think we'll…uh" she trailed off into silence, not actually saying anything

"Yes?" I ushered her on as we reached the front door to the barracks

"Nothing. Goodnight" she said, turning around and putting her arms over my shoulders, pulling me into a kiss

It lasted only a few moments before she broke away and turned to go inside. She lingered at the door, though, as if frozen in time. I thought she was for a second until she turned back around to face me.

"Do you think we'll ever get married?" she asked, stunning me

I didn't even try to reply before I had thought of the words. Would we? If I say no, then I would hurt her bad, if I say possibly, she might think I mean no. if I say yes, then I might seem desperate or like I'm rushing into it. My mouth opened involuntarily and spoke words I didn't even think about saying.

"Only time will tell"

**This will probably upset you guys, but I won't be posting for a while. This could actually be the last chapter I ever post, so I don't know exactly. I'm having issues at home with money, and my nephews and nieces, and pretty much everything else. I need to have some time off to help out. For more information, go to my profile or PM me. Until I know, this is Sky, signing off. Bye-bye**


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